Web of Night
by Blue Funk
Summary: It was over, Axel thought, retreating from his fight with Roxas. There was no chance of his friend returning. That's when a speeding blur of blonde whacked into him, unwilling to let the past go. But these kind of actions always have consquences. Akuroku
1. Chapter 1

_Woah hoahhh. First Kingdom Hearts fic eva! And first uploaded fic on this screen name, for that matter. Hrms. Not that I've never written before. I've just never taken up writing KH. But now I begin! Not only that, but slashie goodness! NO WAY! Wai, people. Totally wai. The pairings will be Akuroku, obviously. SoraxRiku will be there, too, but just under the radar. Considering the plot of this fic, RiSo wouldn't really fit in here, anyway xD_

_For anyone wondering, yes, I've played both games. Yes, I play FF. And HECK YES for Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix!_

_So yah. This is taking place at the fight between Axel and Roxas before Roxas goes to see Sora. And this is my, ah... alternate, "What if" sort of story. As in, "what if" Roxas decided to go after Axel when they fought?_

_**Why, hello thar,** **warnings and disclaimers**!: This is YAOI. As in guy on guy shexy smex sort of things. To be honest, I don't know why you're here if you don't like it. So there. And no, I don't know Kingdom Hearts, Squeenix, etc, etc._

_Anyways, onto the story!_

* * *

"**Do you remember  
****A kiss under the moonlight?  
****When it was summer  
****It was love at first sight.  
****Can you remember?  
**'**Cause I feel the same, now.  
****Until the winter  
****Will see blooming this love."  
****---- DJ Satomi "Waves"**

**Web of Night**

Chapter One

It was always a fight between them. A test to see who was stronger. It had started out with training. The two of them sparred so furiously that oftentimes, they could barely walk out of the simulator room. They had verbal battles and yelling matches for hours on end that only finished when the other lost his voice. Always a battle of dominance.

It was only later that the two of them took their sparring to a new level that things started to get interesting. Hands and chests shoved against each other as clothes fell away, one by one.

"We probably shouldn't be doing this." Axel muttered between intense kisses, pushing towards the bed after shutting and locking the door behind him, just in case. They didn't want Demyx stumbling in at the most inopportune time, like before... _awkward._

"Probably... ah, not." replied Roxas, who had lost this round. He couldn't help but shiver as his body was stripped bare.

The red-head allowed himself a triumphant grin, leaning back to look at his panting, very naked prize. "Heh, I win."

Much later, the battle over, the two warriors settled back to rest. Lean arms curled around the smaller one's body. Burying his face in the blonde hair, Axel sighed. "Roxas... promise me something."

Somewhat confused at the serious tone, Roxas began softly tracing designs on the others back with his fingers. "Anything, Axel."

"Just... promise me you'll never forget. Don't forget that even though we're nobodies... that we do have something. It may not be a heart... but it's something worth noting. That between you and me... there's something worth remembering."

Whatever Roxas hadn't been expecting, it definitely hadn't been that. The two pulled away slightly. The blonde tilted his head up to meet Axel's intense gaze. "I promise, Axel."

A sudden smile graced Axel's face as he happily pulled Roxas back into a tight embrace. Peaceful minutes passed by before the Key of Destiny broke the silence, speaking softly into Axel's chest. "Besides... if anything happens, we'll meet again in the next life, right?"

"Yeah, definitely."

There was a dull chuckle from Roxas, who shook his head. "Silly... it's not like you and I _have_ next lives..."

**.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.**

I had never expected him to remember. His memories weren't supposed to have come back. The Roxas I knew was gone, right? Supposed to be gone, anyway. But then he summoned up his _damn dual keyblades_ and I started to have my doubts.

"_Axel..." He said softly, almost desperately. He was hesitating. That wasn't enough to calm my anger. _

"_You really do remember me this time?" I fought to keep my temper under control. Really, I did. But the sparks tore through the air regardless, creating a wild inferno. "I'm so FLATTERED! But you're too late!" _

My chakrams and fire against his keyblades and light. Angry and infuriated, I never stood a chance against his cool demeanor, the Key of Destiny. He was still coming to terms with who he had been, just scratching the surface of who _I_ was to him as he reacquainted himself with the old memories of Organization XIII. Throughout the battle, the sort of lost look in his eyes kept distracting me. How many emotions had I seen pass through those blue depths before?

Those swirling blue eyes were always my weakness. The little quirk about Roxas that turned my legs into jelly and my speech into a stream of useless gibberish. I could tell his mood easily, simply by looking into his eyes. And those cute, pink lips. Those helped, too.

For example, if his eyes were slightly narrowed and the lips tucked into a pout, little Roxy was annoyed, or if he was continually blinking and just couldn't _shut up_, that meant that he was anxious about something. But my favorite look was the one he had on when he told me that he loved me. His eyelids came down half way, the blue orbs slightly glazed over, and his mouth tucked into a small, secret smile. Gods, if looks could kill...

I liked to think that I knew the kid, front to back, inside and out. But he always managed to throw me for a loop when he figured that I was getting too comfortable. Especially that time when he demanded that I be uke for a change. _Please_. Nevertheless, it was memories like that that had stuck with me all this time while I had been chasing the brat down. They drove me on and I kept going, hoping to get the one thing that meant the most to me back.

I barely noticed the time passing, but soon enough, the battle was over. Slumped against the wall of the metallic, cruel room, I ached all over from my useless energy wastes. I had fought recklessly, and I had failed. Roxas wasn't dead and in a few minutes, Sora would be back to wreak havoc on the worlds, playing the hero and killing heartless. Xemnas wouldn't be happy about that, but it was too late to regret what I had done. Too late for anything, now that I thought about it.

"_Look at what it's come to. I've been given these orders to destroy you- if you don't come back with me."_

"_We're... best friends, right?" No, Roxas. We were much more than that. Can't you remember? _

But he didn't remember. Before, he had lied, to save his own skin. In any other situation, I would have understood. But not here. Not now. The innocent lie only distanced the real Roxas from me. _He_ wouldn't have lied to me.

The chakrams fell from my hands, fading away. As I took in deep breaths, choking back the fury and anguish that were threatening to spill out, I gazed up lazily at Blondie. Despite the bold face he was putting on, I managed a cocky smirk, watching his eyes intently. What was that? Pity? Sadness_? You don't even know... barely even know who I am._ But at least he was starting to look like The Key of Destiny again. The cold gaze and steady stance were proof of that.

It would've been fine to leave then. I could have probably sustained it. But the idiot just had to speak again in that desperate voice. The Twilight Town Roxas was putting on a show again, eyes wide and flashing concern. "Axel..."

"Let's meet again in the next life." I murmured softly, allowing myself a small smile. I couldn't take it anymore! Did he realize that this would be the last time we saw each other?

"Yeah. I'll be waiting." You can wait all you want, kid. It's never gonna happen. The words caused another gash in my non-existent heart. Oh, but how I wanted to imagine that it was real. I couldn't look at him anymore. Turning my gaze away, I put in a little of my remaining energy into creating a dark portal

"Silly... just because you have a next life..." I said, repeating the words he had said so long ago, in other time. Resigned to my fate, I stepped back into the enveloping shadows, glancing one last time at him. Still, he looked at me with those damn pity-filled eyes. Good-bye, Roxas. _Aishiteru._

**.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.**

To be honest, Roxas was torn. While he was still taking in memories, piecing bits and scraps together to make a solid picture, there seemed to be two halves inside of him. The playful, naïve Roxas of Twilight Town, and the tainted, cold, nobody called the Key of Destiny. The brawl against Axel had been fought with the Organization XII member, who had easily summoned up Oblivion and Oathkeeper, but now Roxas was struggling to make his presence known. He had to go see Sora! _"SORA SORA SORA!"_

Something, however, was holding him back. The man slumped over before him, looking pained, was _Axel_. Who cared about a useless kid when there was the red-head, alive in the flesh? The boy from Twilight Town didn't know him... but the Key of Destiny was fighting tooth and nail to reach out to the pyro, screaming silently, _"Axel. Axel! AXEL! AXEL! AXELAXELAXEL! I FOUND YOU AGAIN! I REMEMBER!"_

Hardly any emotion was registering on the outside, but a war was being waged internally. But it seemed that an innocent Struggle bat user could hardly ever stand up to an experienced, duel-wielding killer.

"_Besides," The Key of Destiny growled, "I know now why I have the keyblades. I have what I came for, so now I'm coming back. Sora was fine without me before. Just accept what it is and let it go. You... _we_... are Number XIII."_

Fuming, Roxas backed off. He didn't stand a chance in the argument, anyway. Another snatch of a memory clicked into place. Just in time, too. Axel had already summoned a dark portal, preparing to leave. It was now or never.

Azure eyes narrowed slightly. "Oh no you don't!" Pushing forcefully from the floor, Roxas shot after the disappearing red-head. The small distance between them now seemed like miles as the blonde leaped forward, diving right into a startled chakram-user before the pair of them were whisked away into darkness.

**.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.**

Twin sets of golden eyes widened in the alternate Twilight Town mansion basement. One pair in mild surprise, the other in anger.

DiZ chuckled softly under his breath from his seat. The cloaked Riku spun around to face the bandaged man angrily. "What's so funny? That wasn't supposed to happen! Why did Roxas leave with Axel?"

Shrugging, DiZ looked up at the monitor that showed a now completely bare, and somewhat charred room. The door leading to Sora's sleeping chamber remained untouched and unopened. "His recovered memories were more influential than I anticipated."

"'Than you anticipated?'" Repeated Riku, golden eyes flashing in fury as they looked up at the screen as well. "He can't do that! We have to bring him back!"

"By all means, go ahead. Shall we keep Sora asleep?" DiZ chuckled, looking rather amused by the entire incident.

The glower from Riku was hidden by the shadow of his cowl as he summoned a portal, stepping through it. "Of course. I captured Roxas once, I can do it again. This won't take long."

As if on cue, a robotic voice chirped up from the computer system. "Restoration decreasing. Now at... 82 percent."

**.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.**

The swirling darkness appeared in a dismal alley of the World that Never Was, spitting out Axel. He skidded along the dark pavement. The momentum alone carried him swiftly across the alley, crashing him into the wall of a building. He let out a dull groan of pain at the sudden stop. What the hell had that been? All he could remember was a rush of blonde hair whacking into him before the black portal whisked him back home. He didn't have long to think about it as the said blonde thing came rushing up out of nowhere, colliding into him and smacking him right back into the very solid, unforgiving wall.

"Ow..." The red-head groaned again. He tried to lift his head and look around, but a roaring headache kept him down. In fact, every single part of his body seemed to be on fire. _Ah. On fire. That was a good one_. Crunched up against the wall, Axel could only manage to open his eyes. A head of unruly yellow hair filled his vision.

Gasping, the chakram-user sharply lifted his head. Bad idea. As pain forced him to relax again, Axel managed to splutter out his indignant surprise. "Ow ow ow... R-Roxas?"

The younger teen rolled off of him, rubbing his head. He looked around briefly before realizing what exactly had happened. "Axel! Are you ok?"

Wincing at Roxas's raised voice, Axel managed a weak smirk. "Couldn't be better. Why the hell are you here? Shouldn't you be reunited with your precious Sora now?"

Roxas watched as Axel attempted to sit up, using the wall as leverage, before finding the right answer. "I... I wanted to follow you. I didn't want to lose you."

"Didn't I tell you it was too late for that?" Axel grunted, gritting his teeth as he finally managed horizontal balance. Leaning his head back against the building, his keen eyes observed the suddenly uncomfortable looking keyblade wielder. Despite that, he couldn't pretend that he wasn't pissed. "What's done is done."

"It's not." Roxas said stubbornly, shaking his head. "I made a promise to you. I haven't forgotten."

So it was back to that, then, huh? The red-head sighed, anger fading. He never _could_ say angry at Blondie for long. "... why did you follow me, Rox?"

A small moment of hesitation passed before Roxas spoke again. "I found out why I had the keyblades. That's all I ever wanted to know. I had never planned on leaving the Organization for good... I don't have anywhere else to go, anyway. But you knew, didn't you?"

The somber mood changed in an instant when Roxas turned his blue eyes into accusing pools of anger. Axel blanched. _So he found that out, too..._ "Knew what?"

"Don't play stupid! You knew that my other was Sora! Everyone knew! But not one of you... _not one_ had the guts to tell me!" His voice rose in anger, causing Axel to wince again.

_So much for playing dumb_. "Xemnas instructed us not to tell you. And I never knew it was that important to you... until you told me you were leaving. That was completely stupid, by the way!" The Flurry of Dancing Flames found his words rising in volume level to match Roxas's, the headache forgotten. "How could you let yourself get kidnapped by DiZ and that lackey of his? You're stronger than that!"

The words stung and Roxas bristled. "That wasn't my fault!" he said, his lips curling into a snarl.

They were back on old grounds again. The arguing, the fighting. The familiarity made their hearts ache, but neither was willing to admit defeat just yet.

"Then whose was it? Mine? The Organization's? It was your own choice!" returned Axel, eyes narrowed.

"Are you saying I can't take credit for my own actions?"

"Well, maybe if you-"

"Roxas!"

The argument stuttered to an abrupt halt. The two friends turned to face the exit of the alley to see who had the nerve and audacity to interrupt their verbal sparring match. A hooded figure stood there, bathed in moonlight, and armed with a vicious-looking keyblade.

Axel's eyes turned cold and, steeling himself, he pulled himself to his feet. The pain was almost unbearable. "You know this guy?" His voice carried over the anger and annoyance from before.

A nod. "He's the one who beat me and threw me into that fake Twilight Town."

"You're coming with me." said the stranger, waiting for Roxas to draw his weapons. The tension went up a notch.

"I'd like to see you try." said Roxas in an even voice, standing and beginning a slow walk down the alley towards Riku. The keyblades came easily now. Oathkeeper and Oblivion flashed into view, spinning briefly in his hands. He realized that this fight had higher stakes than before. Riku had come to take him back to Sora. Roxas wasn't about to let that happen.

"You don't have a choice in the matter, nobody." barked the cloaked man harshly, taking a step back and going into an offense position, keyblade poised over his head.

"Don't call me that!" In a flurry of weapons, the Key of Destiny flew at his enemy. Instinct took over. Block, parry, thrust, it all came naturally. But it didn't help the fact that Riku was stronger, bigger, fueled with the darkness.

The two clashed together, blades rattling against each other as the wielders pushed against each other, a test of strength. Roxas's will to live versus Riku's desire to bring Sora back.

The blonde found himself tumbling backwards, but with a twist of his body and a push from the nearby building, he came flying back again, the dual keys at the ready. The minutes pressed on, neither fighter willing to relent in their own onslaughts. Roxas was growing increasingly irritated. Now matter what approach he took, Riku always managed to step around the attack and land a painful blow. The wounds from Axel's fight- _where did they come from_- reopened as the battle grew more dangerous.

Roxas now fought out of desperation, refusing to back down. He wouldn't let Riku take him back! Not now, not ever! Still, the situation was hopeless. His strength was ebbing and his attacks becoming reckless.

Finally, the blonde suffered a fatal mistake. He stumbled. The older teen thrust home with a powerful blow, taking advantage of the situation. Oathkeeper and Oblivion clattered away into the street, out of reach, and Way to Dawn was pressed against Roxas's neck.

He panted, glaring up into a pair of gold eyes from his kneeling position, where he had been about to attempt to retrieve one of his weapons.

"Give it up, you're mine." Riku growled, flicking his keyblade around, hilt first, so that he could easily knock out the nobody. A mistake, he would find out. No sooner had he twitched his fingers than a wall of flames roared into life around him.

Axel panted, leaning heavily against the building as he looked out at the fight from the alley, manipulating the wild blaze. How he had even found energy to hobble here and conjure up a fire wall was beyond him. Hopefully, though, it would be enough of a distraction for Roxas to gain the upper hand. A moment of hesitation, a millisecond of startlement, nothing else, if anything.

But it was enough. Roxas summoned Oblivion back into his hand and dove at the taller man. Thank Kingdom Hearts for Axel and his never-ending source of fire.

As the keyblade came swinging at Riku, he attempted to jerk away from the blade. When he did so, the hood of his black jacket fell back, exposing the features of Ansem.

His brows creased in confusion, but Roxas didn't back down. The attacker wasn't the same one from before, true enough. The silver hair was there, but the complexion was older, tan. And the blindfold was missing. This was a different man, but with the same aura.

A slow smirk formed on the nobody's lips. Now the places were reversed. "You're dead."

Ansem's eyes became slits of anger. How could he have possible lost? Way to Dawn faded from his hands as he looked from Axel, back to the eyes that looked painful identical to Sora's. He had been defeated this time, yes. But next time... _Next time will be different_. He thought firmly.

"We'll meet again, Roxas." Stepping back into an awaiting portal, Riku cast one last glare at the Sora clone. The plan had been perfect, flawless. Foolproof, even. So why had it gone so wrong?

**.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.**

The Ansem/Riku attacker was finally gone. Letting out a deep sigh of relief, Roxas hurried over to Axel, who looked like he was about to pass out. "Thanks, Axel. You saved me back there."

"Don't mention it." The red-head said weakly, barely holding himself up. He didn't even protest when Roxas came up next to him and instructed the other to put his arm around his shoulder. In a painstakingly slow fashion, the two friends began the journey to the Castle towering above all of the lonely, dark skyscrapers of The World that Never Was.

There was an uncomfortable sort of awkwardness between the two. What were they going to do now? Roxas could avoid it all he wanted, but it would come down to it sometime or later. _"We're lovers and you're not sure if what we had was real or not. Is that it, Rox? Do you still not remember anything?"_

"You do realize that you might be killed after coming back like that, right?" Axel whispered, dragging his feet along.

"I'm willing to take that chance."

_"Still... I guess I'm willing to wait until you do remember."_

**Restoration decreasing... now at 75 percent.

* * *

**

­­­Phew! Chapter one, complete! I'm not sure how long this story will be, really... but the chances of a lemon coming up in the next chapter increase with every review! FO' REALZ!


	2. Chapter 2

It's finally spring! I think that's about the only thing exciting that's happened to me so far in life. March just drags on and on ... and on.

Then I got addicted to Loveless, and anyone who likes shounen-ai would probably enjoy that series. So after seeing that, I decided that this fic was in for an update.

And the Naruto 347 chapter made me laugh hysterically. SasukexSai. Psh. xD

Roxas POV! Enter Demyx. We all love Demyx.

* * *

"**Alone together in the darkness,  
****I learned the meaning of your tears.  
****I've taken a step towards my destination,  
****but I don't want to hurt anyone.  
****  
Today, the wind that blows over the ocean  
****Once again heads unhesitatingly towards tomorrow.  
****So why can't my heart begin to move?  
****What destiny awaits me?"**

**-- Takahashi Hitomi "Aozara no Namida"**

**Web of Night**

Chapter 2

"R-Roxas? Is that you?" Bright blue eyes gaped at me in astonishment. Demyx. I remembered him. Number 9, the Melodious Nocturne. Act smooth, Roxas.

"Um... yeah. Listen, Axel, he's... hurt..." I stuttered. Smooth. I was suddenly gratefulthat the red-head was so skinny. He had passed out a block away from the castle and, at the moment, I was the only thing holding him up and I was wiped out from the fight with Riku... or Ansem... or whoever he was.

Demyx now turned his shocked eyes to the unconscious man slumped against me. I couldn't help but sigh tiredly, eyeing the mullet on the back of his head. I found it hard to believe that he still had that.

"Oh my god, you're right! What happened?" He wailed, running forward to grab Axel's other arm and pull it around his shoulder. We slowly started walking up the hallway into the heart of the castle. An eerie quiet echoed our footsteps. It was hollow. How fitting for nobodies.

At Demyx's question, I hesitated. He wasn't asking about why I had left the Organization, nor were any of the other numbers coming out, weapons flying. In other words, I wasn't dead yet like I was supposed to be. Had Axel not told them that I had left? Was my desertion still unknown? "Um... it's a long story, Demyx. How about we just get him up to his room first?"

The blonde nodded solemnly, looking serious for maybe a brief second before grinning again and launching into a babble fest. "Yeah, definitely! But I'm so glad you're here and that Axel managed to get you away from that DiZ guy! The Superior was seriously freaking out when he found out that you had been kidnapped! We all were, really. Then he sends Axel after you, only to find out that you had lost your memories! You should've seen Axel, he was totally bummed!"

So that's why I wasn't being executed on the spot. "I remember now, it's ok." I said softly, looking around as we walked, letting the memories flood my mind.

"I know! I'm so happy! I'm glad you're back, Roxas, I was so worried!' Demyx said solemnly, hefting Axel's weight slightly. The shifting red hair tickled my ear but I said nothing. Still, no one came out to meet us. The halls were barren, but this didn't seem to bother the sitar-player.

"Where is everyone?" I finally asked, unable to stand the emptiness any longer.

"It's the middle of the night, Roxas! Everyone's asleep. I was just going to bed when I found you two... I kinda lost track of the time playing my sitar..."

Something that I hadn't remembered was obviously Demyx's ability to chatter nonstop. We still had a staircase to ascend, then another hallway, and we would be in the living quarters of the castle. The very fact that I recalled that cheered me up a little, at least. I left the tiny fraction of happiness to swirl around in my head, along with the worry about Axel, exhaustion, and annoyance from Demyx.

Still... _I was home._ The thought wouldn't leave my mind. I was back where I at least could belong. I was back with Axel, Demyx... hell, even Saïx's face would be nice to see right now. Maybe.

So why couldn't I get my mind off Axel? Naminè had said we were best friends, but something seemed off about that. The problem with this whole memory-remembrance thing was that I had only recalled the general idea of my previous life. Yes, I knew who Demyx was, and I could still find my way around The World That Never Was, but the details were still missing. I couldn't remember the songs that Demyx liked to play at dinner or what I had done in my spare time here. It was frustrating, akin to reading a book with half the pages missing.

By the time I was done mentally ranting, Demyx and I had reached the wing of the Castle Oblivion where we lived. Naturally, it was in numerical order, starting with number 2. Xemnas, as I could recall, didn't live in the same wing as the rest of us. So number 8 was another few moments of walking. That didn't stop me from glancing at every door we passed. 2 was Xigbar. The Magic Bullet Shooter. Didn't he have an eye patch or something?

We continued walking, Demyx having fallen strangely silent. Number 3, Xaldin. Long hair, completely obsessed with pointy things. It was only when the fourth door was passed that a cold feeling passed my heart (what heart?) and another recollection snapped into its rightful place. The Chilly Academic, Vexen. The number had been covered with a white cloth. Vexen had been killed by Axel himself. A shiver ran through my body.

Suddenly losing the urge to name the rest of the members, I kept my head down the rest of the way. I barely even noticed when Demyx and I came to a stop, or how Axel became a great deal heavier. The blonde had let go of him to open the door, labeled clearly with a VIII.

The exhaustion hit me again and my knees began to quiver with the weight of Axel pulling me down. Demyx returned quickly and we walked in together.

The room was just as I recalled it, which was surprising, both that it was the same and that I actually remembered. With ridiculously high ceilings, the entire room would have been a sterile, marble white color. The large bed to the left had the snowy sheets, matching the colorless furniture and door leading to the private bathroom. Axel, however, had decided to really make the room his own. The perfect paleness was marred with scorch and burn marks all over the place. I didn't recall those lovely additions.

The only other color in the room came from a large window at the far wall, revealing a wide view of the Worls That Never Was.

"He did that after you had left." Demyx whispered as we lay the red-head down on his bedHe carefully brushed off a bit of ash from the nearby bedside lamp with a slender hand before turning his eyes back to me. "Just let Axel sleep it off, he'll be fine soon. I'm going to bed, I'll see you in the morning. 'Night, Roxas. Good to have you back."

I managed a weak smile, watching as the blonde turned and left. Sleep would probably be a good idea now. Pulling up a nearby chair, I sat down beside Axel's bed, watching him.

Good idea or not, I knew I wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight. Instead, I settled back in my seat, watching the steady rise and fall of Axel's chest. Had he really just blasted half his room with flames, just because I had left?

I couldn't understand why. If we were best friends, it wasn't that heart-wrenching, was it?

I found myself staring. He really did look terrible. Beat-up, tired, and worn out. Axel's usually vibrant, ruby hair was dulled and slightly matted. Still, even through so much, it managed to remain spiked. I kept going, stopping at the tattoos on his cheeks. What did they stand for? Once again, I felt the nagging feeling that I knew... but just couldn't remember.

It was growing irritating. I sighed, pressing the palms of my hands to my eyes. Why couldn't I just get the rest of those memories out? Something was holding them back, somewhere in a secluded part of my head. Like a giant boulder at the top of a hill, with that little annoying pebble underneath it that kept it at bay. I felt like screaming. _I wanted to know_. Not just the general, big picture. I wanted to know and remember everything.

Like what Axel really meant to me.

I looked up again, making sure that he was still breathing. How did someone so fierce look so peaceful when he slept? I smiled gently, reaching out to run a hand through his hair gently. Despite its ragged appearance, it was still as soft as I... remembered it?

I'm not sure how long I sat there, idly raking my fingers through Axel's hair and musing about my missing memories, but it wasn't the best time to go into auto-pilot.

Axel unexpectedly grinned, eyes opening to reveal his bright, green irises. I didn't even notice until he spoke, "Still as cute as ever, aren't you, Roxas?"

I jumped, hurriedly pulling away my hands and looking away. "I, uh... um... wait, cute? I'm not cute!"

A slight pout passed over his face as soon as my fingers tore away from his hands. "Aw, you stopped..."

What was he saying? Flabbergasted, I changed subjects, getting right to the point. "H-how are you feeling?" I asked, leaning forward and propping my hands on the edge of the bed.

I was met with a wide, Cheshire cat smile. "Better, now that you're here."

An unexpected flutter passed through my stomach. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that you're adorable. That's what."

I flushed, half in anger, half in unexpected pleasure. Now wasn't the time for that. I wanted some answers. "Why doesn't anyone know that I left the Organization? I should be dead now and you know it."

He had seen the questions coming. Closing his eyes, he stayed silent for a brief moment before speaking, "I didn't tell them. I couldn't. Probably because I couldn't accept the fact myself."

"So they just think that I was kidnapped?" I asked, pulling my chair closer.

"That's right."

I couldn't believe it. "But why?"

"Stupid question..." Axel chucked softly, shaking his head. "C'mere."

The idiot suddenly grabbed my wrists, pulling me into bed next to him and instantly trapping me by enfolding me into his arms. I yelped as I was dragged in, then stiffened, opening my eyes to see that I was pressed against his chest. This was bad. This was awkward. I tried to struggle and pull away, but the feeling of safety and comfort wouldn't shake off. My body was relaxing, and I could do nothing to stop it. Axel seemed to sense it, too, as he tiredly nuzzled my hair.

"What were you thinking about?"

"Wh-what?" I mentally scolded myself for starting to stutter again.

"While I was sleeping. I swear, I've never seen you so immersed before." Axel was practically purring.

I don't know why I said it, but the words had tumbled out of my mouth before I could even stop. "I was thinking about you."

He only laughed, leaning down to let his lips brush over my ear. I didn't notice him pulling me closer, or how his legs had tangled with mine. My entire body seemed to have shut down. Helpless.

"Oh, really? Nothing inappropriate, I hope."

He didn't just say that. He was half-dead, and he still had time to make sexual innuendo jokes? No. No. Crap. A flood of sudden heat rushed through my body. Especially in my lower areas. Not good. I finally found myself pushing away, angrily ignoring the blush spreading across my cheeks. "No! Why would I be doing that?"

Slapping away his hands, I stumbled out of the bed and stormed to the door.

"You should just get some rest, Axel." At the last moment, I turned around to glance back at him. It was obvious that I was still pink in the face, because Axel looked mildly pleased with himself.

He had slid his arms behind his head, smirking wickedly. "I'll do that, thanks."

With an angry scowl, I left and slammed the door behind me. I was furious. Both at Axel, and myself. More at myself, really. For reacting like that. We were best friends! I wasn't allowed to be acting like this.

As I was about to burst into the room, I faltered on the doorstep. This was my room. I lived here. The mini revelation put a damper on my fury. Calming down, my hand reached out and I opened the door, stepping inside. Not surprising that it was identical to Axel's, just without any scorch marks.

The bed was made, perfect and white. Except for the blotches of black; my clothes. Black pants, boots, sleeveless undershirt, and the infamous Organization XIII coat. Looking down at myself, the dirtied clothes from Twilight Town Roxas seemed to be completely out of place in such an empty place like this.

Time for a shower and a change.

Much later, I cautiously approached the mirror, eyeing the reflection. I hadn't donned the coat yet, but the black was strangely comforting. I turned around, checking every corner of my appearance. The shirt and pants were tightly fit, hugging close to my body. A lot different than my old outfit, for sure. Still... no going back now.

I glanced out my window, looking at the emotionless city. It didn't offer any comfort. Sighing, I walked across the room and sat down on the bed, staring down at the floor. "What... am I going to do now?"

I spoke out into the emptiness, not expecting a reply. I didn't get one, either. I looked over, spotting my bedside table. It had a single drawer. Out of curiosity, I wrenched it open and peered inside.

There was a little leather-bound album inside. Now I was _really_ curious. A photo album would be the perfect thing to trigger my locked up memories. Leaning back in my bed, I flipped open to the first photo, ready to have my past life fly back at me.

Melodramatic as I was being, I didn't expect the first picture, and I snorted with laughter. It was Xemnas, his eyes half shut and his mouth hanging open. He looked drunk. The caption below it said, "The Superior looking cute."

I snickered. Axel, me, or whoever, had obviously taken the picture while the Number I was speaking, and he had, unfortunately, blinked at the same time. To my annoyance, though, I didn't remember when or why this photo had been taken.

The next picture was just as hilarious. Saïx was sitting at a table, a bowl of food before him. His cheeks were puffed out and he had a fearful expression on his face as he stared down into his plate. My laughter died quickly when my memories failed me again. I couldn't, for the life of me, recall why Saïx looked like that. It was the same for the other pictures, like Demyx crooning to a glowering Xaldin, or Axel frantically running away, holding Xigbar's eye patch.

"I can't remember..." I said slowly, closing the book. Was I doomed to never recall my complete past? Anger flared up in me as I turned to slam the book back down into the open drawer. Me being the ever graceful one, I missed and instead chucked the album into my lamp.

"Crap, crap, crap!" I scrambled to catch it. In my attempt, I ended up lying across my bedside table with the lamp held in my outstretched hands. Panting, I pulled myself up and was about to set the lamp in its rightful place when I spotted a splash of unexpected color on the bottom of the porcelain object.

It was the back of the photograph. "Don't forget" was written in my own familiar handwriting. Perplexed, I pulled the photo off of the bottom and flipped it over. The lamp fell from my trembling fingers, thudding onto the floor. I didn't even both to check if it broke. I couldn't.

Two very familiar faces took up the entire picture. It was me and Axel. And we were kissing. Axel had obviously taken the picture, as his arm was stretched out to one side of the frame. He had an eye open, gleefully, and somewhat defiantly, staring back into the camera. My eyes had closed. The Roxas in the picture looked... I swallowed the sudden lump in my throat. He looked _happy_. So did Axel, for that matter. No matter how I turned it, the two guys in the picture seemed absolutely perfect.

And that was it. Everything came flooding back. I blinked; it was somewhat surprising that it all just sort of... flowed in, rather than crashing into my brain and causing an overload.

In the album... the photo of Xemnas had been snapped during a meeting. Axel and I had decided to make a collection of hilarious photos for ourselves. Saïx looked ridiculous because we had told him that Demyx had made the food. Demyx was singing Christmas songs to Xaldin, who had admitted not a moment before that "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was his favorite tune. Axel had stolen Xigbar's eye patch on a bet from Luxord. The red-head had later crawled back to me with a black eye, whimpering.

And _our _picture had been taken a few days before I had left. Axel had pulled out the camera and said that he wanted a picture for ourselves to remember.

"You're a genius, Axel." I whispered, running my fingertips across the glossy surface of the photograph, overwhelmed with just about everything. Biting my lip, my hands began shaking again with excitement. Naminè had lied. We weren't just best friends. We loved each other. Axel loved me. We were...

_Lovers._

I suddenly stood and walked swiftly to my door and out, sliding the picture into my backpocket. The urge to go speak to Axel was hard to ignore. As I walked, I couldn't help but grin. Passing by the Number 9 door, I recalled how Demyx had sat there all night once after locking himself out. And that space by VIII... I turned pink, looking into the past to see how Axel had pinned me against the wall there, and... and...

This was harder than it looked, now. How could one just walk back into a relationship like this? I had broken a promise, even _lied_ to Axel. Would he be willing to start over? Or at least pick up where we had left off? My hand faltered on the door handle. Could he forgive me?

Hardening my resolve, I opened the door and walked in. Without knocking, I noted. Oops. "Axel?" I was pleased that I hadn't stuttered. So far so good. My gaze swept through the room. He wasn't there.

"Axel?" I called again.

"Yeah?" Axel poked his head out from around the side of the door leading to his bathroom, curiously looking at me before emerging completely, clad only in pants. He walked toward me, drying his hair with a towel.

"What's up?"

I tried not to stare at his bare chest, and even managed to close my gaping mouth. Stop being stupid, stop being stupid, just _say something_.

"I-I... I..."

I... am an idiot.

Axel quirked an elegant eyebrow, trying not to laugh as he stood only a few feet away, throwing the damp towel over his shoulders. His sharp eyes looked me over, almost in approval at my change of clothes. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry." I finally blurted out, lowering my eyes.

"Why?"

"Because I forgot! I promised I wouldn't. And I thought that I hadn't, but I did! I didn't realize, I didn't even-I just..." The words weren't coming out right. Angry at myself, I simply pulled out the photograph and handed it to him.

I watched as his eyes widened and he mouthed the words written on the back. He glanced from it to me. I knew that look. He was excited, but didn't want to show it, didn't want to give in, in case I was going to let him down.

He swallowed, looking directly at me now with an unreadable expression. Funny how he seemed to be having the same trouble with speech as I was. "D'you... do you remember now?"

"Everything." I whispered, meeting his startled gaze.

"So you..." Axel said cautiously, taking a step forward, "You know about... us?"

The lump in my throat was choking me. I couldn't speak, but simply nodded, bowing my head. I started to quiver, fearful of what Axel was going to say.

"You idiot... why didn't you say sooner?" In two quick steps, Number VIII had stepped forward and yanked me into a crushing hug.

"I don't..." I murmured, my hands curled uselessly against his chest. It hurt, suddenly, when I found that there was no beat beneath my fingers. No heart. "I don't know."

His own fingers found their way beneath my chin and he tilted my head up to meet his eyes. He was grinning in that mischievous way again. I blinked. "Axel, what-"

My words were cut off as Axel leaned forward and covered my mouth with his. The kiss started off gently, slowly, but soon his tongue was sweeping across my bottom lip. I didn't resist, _couldn't_ resist. My defenses were down, my eyes closed. With a shudder, I parted my lips for him, only him, eager to relive memories and create new ones. Reaching up, my fingers tangled back into his hair, still damp from his shower.

Axel continued feverishly pressing his lips to mine, pouring out the emotions into the gesture, as if any moment, I would disappear. I honestly knew where he was coming from with that. Finally, we had to pull away to breathe.

"I've been waiting an eternity to do that." He sighed, resting his forehead against mine, looking content.

"So have I." I smiled at him briefly before slumping forward. Everything faded as the exhaustion finally conquered me. Looks like I should've gone to sleep after all.

**Restoration decreasing, now at 47 percent.**


	3. Chapter 3

Righto, another update! Saw TMNT yesterday. I dunno, I've heard a lot of complains about the CGI, but I personally thought the movie was kickass xD

Although, everyone knows that the biggest event this week was the release of KHII Final Mix and Re:CoM in Japan. The Secret Movie? Phew. Absolutely fantastic. It's leaving me to hope against hope that the game'll be released here in the US in the fall, like some people say. And it also leaves me to wonder what exactly Nomura is planning xD

This chapter did take forever, though. Naruto Shippuden kept distracting me. And when I WAS writing it, since I had been working on it about the entire day, I realized that by the end, I had written about a pages worth of just this weird, obscure stuff that was basically just going on a tangent. Wow. Waste of half an hour.

In any case, thanks for all the people who have this story on alerts and those that reviewed! Be sure to keep reviewing! Really! They make me happy. They make Roxas happy. They make... jello jiggle with joy...

* * *

"**But if you fall back into my life,  
****I'd spend every night waking up to the beat I hear inside,  
****Telling me to be your only one.  
****  
But if you fall back into my life,  
****I promise you I would never let another day just pass us by.  
****I could never leave this world undone.  
****I want to be your only one."**

**-- Amber Pacific "Fall Back Into my Life"**

**Web of Night**

Chapter 3

Riku leaned against the wall of the laboratory, nursing a deep slash on his arm as he glared at the projection of Sora on the opposite wall and the flashing "Zero Percent" restoration screen. Things had gone terribly wrong, ever since that ridiculous nobody decided that he was going to simply leave Sora in the dust. The two, just minutes ago, had completely separated themselves. Or, really, Roxas had separated himself. _How dare he..._ Gold eyes became slits of hatred. The Ansem look-alike would not have been defeated before, if not for the interference of that flame-user.

A nearby door opened and DiZ slowly emerged from it. Beyond the doorframe, Riku could just catch a glimpse of the cold white pods. He pushed back his hood, scowling at the red-bandaged man. "So? How is he?"

An ominous silence swept between the two men before DiZ finally spoke. "I think you should see for yourself."

Angered at the other man's inability to just explain things outright and anxious over the state of his closest friend, Riku pushed away from the wall and swept past DiZ, heading into the sterile corridor. Not bothering to cast the sleeping Donald and Goofy even the briefest glance, Riku turned and headed right into the largest colorless chamber. The petals of the sleeping pod opened soundlessly to reveal the handiwork of DiZ and Naminè.

An older Sora, now fifteen, was hanging suspended in the clear shell. All was as it should have been. Sora was sleeping dreamlessly, his memories being restored while he slumbered in peace.

But something was wrong. Sora _wasn't_ sleeping dreamlessly. A look of pain was etched onto the boy's face as he tried to squirm, shaking his head occasionally while the rest of the pod restricted his movements.

"No, don't... Riku, don't leave... we've gotta... save Kairi." The keyblade wielder was also muttering under his breath. Riku's heart clenched at the desperate and pained tone in which Sora spoke. He half-wished that the pod was soundproof so that he wouldn't have to hear his friend's whimpers.

DiZ came up to stand beside Riku and observe the brunette. Riku spoke first, not taking his eyes away from the sleeping pod. "What's happening to him?"

"He's having nightmares." said DiZ simply. "He's waking up."

At DiZ's words, it seemed that Sora's bad dreams escalated into sleeping horrors. He began to scream as tears glistened on his cheeks. "NO! RIKU, DON'T LEAVE ME IN THE DARKNESS! My keyblade's not coming out! The heartless! Goofy ... Donald..."

A sudden urge to curl up into a ball and hide welled up in the silver-haired man. Hide from this painful and absolutely disturbing image. Sora didn't deserve this. _No one_ deserved something like this, but especially not Sora. He deserved to be smiling all the time, not being subjected to pain like this. _I swear, Sora... I'll get you smiling again._

Riku flinched slightly, gritting his teeth as he forced himself to keep a steady head. Sora's agony-filled screams were driving him over the edge, to be sure. _But how long will I be able to take this before I go insane?_ Curling his hands into fists, he glanced sharply at the one beside him. "What about his memories?"

DiZ seemed to be completely unaffected by the half sobs, half shrieks coming from the dreaming teen. "Naminè managed to pull some strings and restored Sora to his original memories. There's nothing we can do now but wait until he awakens. However..." He trailed off, turning away from the white pod to face the taller Ansem.

"... I'm not sure what will happen to Sora once he returns to reality without Roxas. There may be some side-effects. We never planned on anything like this to happen."

The spiky-haired keyblade wielder was yelling again. It was as if he was dying or being tortured. A nightmare he couldn't wake up out of. Riku found it hard to concentrate. Pulling his hood back over his head with shaking hands, he turned on his heel and swept out of the room. "Fine, just come get me as soon as he wakes up."

Riku walked out of the room as quickly as possible, slamming the door behind him. He could still hear Sora's screams as he walked away through the white hall.

**.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.**

Roxas stood alone, in the darkness. This was a dream, wasn't it? The darkness was all too familiar. He had been met with it in his sleep all too many times. A constant reminder of his worthlessness as a person. The nobodies were born in darkness, lived in darkness, and were doomed to remain in darkness. A mere shell, an impersonation of life. Cursed to walk alone in eternal black.

Except this time, he wasn't alone.

"_H-hello? Is anyone there?"_ A sleepy voice called, confusion obvious.

Roxas gasped sharply, startled at the sudden intrusion into his dream. He turned in place in an attempt to find the owner of the voice that was eerily familiar. "Who's there?"

"_Riku? Is that you? No, you're definitely not Riku. Who are you?"_

Spinning sharply to look behind him, Roxas was met with an intense, very blue gaze. Eyes that he knew very well stared back at him. His eyes. Sora's eyes. His other's. The blonde was certain that if he actually had a heart, it would have been hammering wildly in his chest.

"_Who are you?" _Sora repeated, staring at Roxas, not realizing who it was, having never seen him before. His voice seemed distant, as if he was speaking from within a cave. _"Where am I?"_

Roxas shuddered, Sora's voice creating haunting images. He had grown to know that voice and its owner extremely well the in the past week. This couldn't be a dream. He wouldn't be able to converse so freely with the boy in slumber. "I'm Roxas. I don't know where you are, I was under the impression that I was dreaming."

Cerulean eyes narrowed, both in thought and in perplexity, as Sora crossed his arms across his chest. _"So this is a dream?"_

"I don't really know..." replied Roxas hesitantly. This was _Sora_, his _other_. If the boy realized what his nobody had done, how he had refused to rejoin Sora and become one... well, he wouldn't be too pleased.

"_Well, are Donald and Goofy here? Or Riku? Or maybe Kairi? Have you seen any of them?" _Sora pressed excitedly.

Roxas eyed the other's too-small, Mickey Mouse-like outfit. If the situations were different, he would have been amused. "Eh, I don't know..." He answered helplessly.

"_So who are you?" _

"I-I'm... I'm your nobody." The blonde heard himself saying, his eyes wide with surprise at his own words.

If Sora had looked confused before, now he was just completely lost. _"My _what_? Hey! Where are you going?"_

Roxas found that he couldn't answer anymore. Something was pulling him back into the land of the awake, and he had no choice but to leave Sora alone in the darkness. How ironic.

**.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.**

The darkness quickly receded, leaving Roxas to grunt and, after a bit of hesitation, peek out to see where he was. It was morning; the faint light in the room was proof enough of that. The first thing he spotted was a bare chest. The owner of the chest had lanky arms wrapped possessively around Roxas's waist.

The blonde relaxed as the previous night's events came back to him and the dream soon filtered away. It was just a dream, anyway, right? Right.

_So how did I get here...? Ah yes. _Following Axel to The World That Never Was, fighting Riku, Axel fainting, getting the old memories back, and flopping over like a lump of dead meat after kissing Axel for the first time who knew how long. _Perfect, Roxas. _It seemed that after he had conked out, the red-head had taken him to bed and fallen asleep as well.

Breathing in deeply, relishing the smell of the cinnamon and ash that was Axel, he pulled away just slightly to observe the pyro. Roxas _still_ couldn't believe just how peaceful the other looked when he slumbered. When Axel was awake, his face was almost never seen without that priceless smirk and flashing glint in his eyes.

Roxas reached out to trace the tear drops on Axel's cheek, then with the lightest touch, he ghosted the tips of his fingers over the red markings around his closed eyes, smiling to himself as he did so. An overwhelming feeling of contentment and happiness filled him as he eventually leaned forward to press a chaste kiss to Axel's lips. The dual-wielder knew that he was unbelievably lucky to still have the other, even after the entire tragedy of leaving the Organization and losing his memories.

The boy was dragged out of his thoughts as Axel unexpectedly returned the kiss, following after him as Roxas had pulled his head away. Eyelids slid apart to reveal the startling jade irises.

"Good morning to you, too." he finally purred, tugging Roxas back into his tight embrace.

Grinning in response, Roxas was more than happy to nuzzle back into Axel's arms. "Morning. I take it that it was your genius idea that as soon as I fell asleep, you insisted that my pants and shirt come off?"

"Well, I figured that those damn tight pants wouldn't be comfortable to sleep in, anyway, no matter how good you look in them." The pyro chuckled softly. Indeed, the two boys were resplendent only in boxers now.

_At least I have _that_ much on... _"And my shirt?"

"Ah, well that..." The red-head's voice dropped a few decibels as he leaned forward, "That was just because even with tight clothes, I still say you look better in absolutely nothing at all." He whispered, smirking briefly at Roxas's sharp intake of breath before giving the earlobe an experimental nibble.

Roxas immediately began laughing and pushing away at Axel. "Stop that! Not before breakfast!"

The other pouted slightly, looking down at the blonde in disappointment. "Aw, c'mon, you owe me."

"I just got back! Can't you wait a little?" cried Roxas, indignantly eyeing the red-haired man's suggestive grin.

"Hell no! Rox, I've been waiting for this since you left. And, really, let's be honest here." Axel pulled away slightly, lifting a hand for dramatic effect. "When you left, all we did the night before was snuggle. _Snuggle_. That's hardly anything to satisfy me for, well.. however long you were gone. I lost count. So that's why-HEY!"

During Axel's mini-speech, Roxas had wiggled bit by bit out of reach before eventually darting away. "Breakfast first, Axel!" He said in a sing-song voice, grinning and impishly sticking his tongue out.

"What? Why, you... you teasing..." Axel spluttered, throwing off the blankets from the bed as he rose, fully intending on grabbing the little jerk and dragging him back to bed. But Roxas had already nabbed his clothes and, with a triumphant laugh, slammed the door to the private bathroom in the chakram user's face.

"Better get dressed, Ax, or the Superior will be angry!" Roxas chuckled through the door, unable to see the fuming Axel but knowing perfectly well what he looked like.

The pair eventually got dressed, Axel less happily than the other, but they soon made it out into the hall with the red-head only trying to seduce Roxas back into bed twice.

Axel gloomily pulled on his gloves, having failed in his seduction, both times. "And the shittiest part is that the Superior will most likely want a complete report from the both of us, which will take up even _more _time.."

"Ah, stop complaining..." smirked the blonde, wearing the same clothes as the night before.

The other blonde of Organization XIII popped up out of nowhere, already wide awake and grinning like mad. "Morning, guys! How're you feeling, Axel?"

Axel raked a hand through his flaming red spikes. "Better than ever, Dem." Indeed, he was feeling a great deal better. A full night's sleep had completely cured him of his exhaustion, and the other miscellaneous, keyblade caused cuts were hardly worth noticing.

The sitar-player smiled brightly, completing the look of someone who was too happy for mornings. "Before you two go and have breakfast; Roxas, the Superior wanted to talk to you."

Roxas was hardly surprised that Xemnas already knew of his return. The man knew of everything that went on in his domain. It was almost creepy, how much he knew. At times, Roxas even suspected that "Mansex" knew of his relationship with Axel. The three stopped at the end of the hall, where it split into two other corridors. To the left would be the way to the Superior's and the right fork would lead into the other parts of the castle. "Alright. I'll see you in a bit, Axel, ok?"

Looking slightly deflated at the thought of Roxas leaving, the red-head shrugged and turned right, following Demyx. "Just don't take too long."

Flashing another grin at Axel, Roxas waved in goodbye and headed off in the direction of Xemnas's room. As he walked, the forced grin slid away from his features like water. What would the Superior say? Did he perhaps know already about his betrayal? That was entirely possible. Or perhaps he would want to know about DiZ, the mysterious silver-haired man, and Naminè...

A nervous sweat broke over Roxas. _To be honest, I really don't want to relive what happened back there. Pence... Hayner... and Olette. They saved me before, but no one can help me here now. This is reality._

The biggest problem was whether or not to reveal that he knew about Sora.

His feet led him directly to the ebony colored door, ominously marked with the "I" symbol. _Well... nothing for it now. _Taking in a deep breath, he knocked once before pushing open the door.

**.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.**

"Number XIII... it appears that you have returned to us." rumbled Xemnas, his face and voice devoid of emotion.

Roxas nodded stiffly, his eyes cold, revealing nothing. "Yes, sir."

The Superior continued, gazing down at the blonde from his desk. Behind him, the partially finished Kingdom Hearts pulsed gently with its inner light. "VIII's reports informed me that you were kidnapped by a man named DiZ."

Another frigid jerk of his head. _Keep it emotionless... don't give away anything. Don't let him know. _

"I was, sir."

"Hmm. What did they do to you while you were in their captivity?"

Explanation ready, Roxas took a deep breath before speaking, "I was weakened in a battle with an unknown key blade wielder. I was then thrown into an illusion of Twilight Town, all memories of Organization XIII erased from my mind. I believe that, at the time, DiZ was planning on restoring me to Sora's body."

Xemnas didn't move, but Roxas could tell that his casual mentioning of Sora did not please him. "How did they plan on doing that?"

At this, Roxas was torn. He could easily give away Naminè and land her in an ocean's worth of trouble, or he could play stupid. "I don't know, sir. They had Sora in suspended slumber, though. As far as I know, he is still in that state."

"Indeed." The older man nodded thoughtfully, the only mark of emotion on his face was the slightest frown that was just barely visible. "And how did you escape?"

"Ah, sir, Axel came to free me. I had managed to recover about half of my memories at the time and so, I followed him here. I briefly fought DiZ's lackey, but he was defeated. So far, that is the only attempt at a retrieval that they have made." Roxas recited impassively.

The Superior seemed to consider this. A minute passed, then another. Roxas dared not fidget, but the silence was growing eerie. It seemed like an eternity had gone by, when Xemnas spoke again. "Do you realize, out of curiosity, XIII, what you have done?"

Thrown for a loop, Roxas could only blink in confusion. "Sir?"

"You now know who your other is. If you what you say is true, then DiZ was attempting to restore you to your other's body. They wish to bring back their hero." A slow smirk slid onto the man's thin lips. "Except now... dear Sora is only half-full. They will awaken him, pained and tortured, bordering on disappearing."

Composure slipping a notch, Roxas took a step forward. "What do you mean, sir?"

"Whoever was restoring you to Sora was undoubtedly stitching you back, piece by piece. Painstakingly, even. But then, you single handedly ripped yourself back out again. And such an action cannot be without consequences." The smirk grew wider, adding to Xemnas's already evil appearance. "The Light's champion is now crippled and useless."

A pin could have been heard dropping in the stillness that followed. Roxas's stomach plunged directly to his feet as he fought to keep up his cool demeanor. A single hand rolled into a tight fist, squeezing so hard that his nails dug into his palm. "I see, sir."

"So I suppose... you may be given a few days to recuperate before you begin taking on missions again. I suggest you train during this time. All that time, living life as a simple teen boy undoubtedly had a deleterious effect on your fighting ability." With that, the Superior was done. He gave Roxas an indifferent brief nod before going back to the paperwork on his desk.

"Sir." With a very brief, curt bow, Roxas was gone. The happiness from this morning had faded and even his desire for breakfast deserted him completely. How could one eat without a bottom to a stomach, anyway? Shuddering, Roxas wanted nothing more than to run and hide somewhere. Disgust at himself ripped his insides to ribbons.

_What have I done? I just killed Sora. And if he's not yet dead, he's going through the worst pain in the world. Oh my god..._

The blood drained from his face and Roxas clutched his arms around himself, feeling a chill run out from his spine and spread to his limbs. He didn't want to go back to his own room, nor did he wish to see Axel. How could he even look at Axel in the eye again? _Then again_, Roxas realized, _he won't even care. Why would he? Just because he helped him through Castle Oblivion before won't change anything..._

Naminè.

The thought came to him completely randomly, whispering through his frantically spinning brain. Naminè was involved in just about everything. And if he didn't know any better, the blonde girl was probably still in the castle somewhere. And she, above everyone else, knew more about this entire situation. Roxas still refused to give himself back to DiZ, but he could not abandon his other, either. Naminè, hopefully, would be able to help.

With a quick burst of speed, Roxas ran off down the corridor, wondering if he'd ever be able to shake off this feeling of horror and guilt.

**.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.**

"Riku, come quickly!" DiZ voice reverberated throughout the marble-white chamber as the sleeping pod started releasing it's year-long prisoner. For the past hour, Sora had been twitching erratically, as if about to wake up. Each time, however, something held him back, forced him back into slumber. Now, Sora had won and was returning to reality. It was time.

The summoned Riku appeared in record time, the cowl hiding his features as usual. He said nothing, not daring to even breathe as his precious friend initiated the procedure of awakening.

With another soft release of air, the clear container disappeared from sight, leaving the brunette in the middle. A hushed silence passed with Sora blinking, staring down lazily at DiZ and Riku. The short-lived moment ended quickly as, shuddering, Sora's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he started falling forward, not able to support himself.

"Sora!"

With a few quick strides, Riku had made it to the pod and caught Sora in his arms just before he hit the floor. Careful not to jostle him, the older man gingerly lowered the teen to the ground.

"Remember, Riku, he is not complete." DiZ said sharply.

"Ri... ku?" Sora mumbled, reacting to the familiar sound. He fought to open his eyes, and managed to peel them apart just slightly. "Is that you?"

Riku didn't dare to speak a word, not with Ansem's voice. It would only alarm the key blade wielder, put him on his guard, if he was even capable of that in his current state.

"Riku?" Sora repeated earnestly, "Riku, I-Ah!" Without warning, his azure eyes rigidly snapped open, looking directly into Riku's hidden gold ones. Letting out another short scream of agony, he curled up into a ball, beginning to twitch violently as he clawed at his chest where his heart was.

"What is this, DiZ?" Riku yelled, unable to keep the shock out of his voice.

"A side-effect, I believe." said DiZ over the Sora's heavy panting.

"Ch." Releasing a pained grunt, Riku pulled Sora into a tight embrace, hoping to quell the pain and stop the brunette from hurting himself with his frantic clawing. "He was fine before, why is this happening now?"

"It hurts..."

The bandaged man simply shook his head, completely unperturbed at Sora's unsettling behavior. "Things have changed over a year. His condition, his memories, his heart... everything is different."

Helpless, all Riku could do now was hold Sora tightly to himself, cursing Roxas to the ends of the worlds. Even if he died doing it, he would restore Sora to his previous state, regardless or not if the nobody was willing to help.

**.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.**

Roxas gasped, jerking in his seat as a hand flew to his chest. A blinding but brief pain had stabbed through the hollow area where his heart would have been.

Naminè looked on worriedly at the boy across from her. "Roxas? Are you alright?"

The two had been conversing for most of the past hour. After the Organization member burst into the girl's room, panting and wheezing as if he had just run a marathon (which wasn't far from the truth. Naminè's room _would_ be on the complete opposite site of the castle.), the pair had settled down to talk. Roxas had outright demanded to hear the truth, and with a sad smile, Naminè had supplied it. She had just been explaining what would happen to Sora when the pain interrupted their discussion.

"I think..." Roxas said hesitantly, "I think Sora just woke up."

* * *

Coming up... Roxas's connection with Sora... "training"... a lemon, perhaps?... Riku wangst. 


	4. Chapter 4

What's this? I'm updating again already? I need to be shot. Or something.

Maybe I'll just go listen to Roxas's Theme again and sob my eyes out, 'cause Axel did too. -pout- But seriously. With all these new Final Mix+ videos coming in, it's so hard to keep my own story in line with the new facts xD Ah well. This story'll be pretty short anyway.

In any case... see that little button down at the bottom of the page? Yeah, I know you do. Don't lie to me. Now click it. CLICK IT, I SAY! And review! A nice comment or two, a few words of advice, s'all it takes, yo.

Thanks for all your others reviews, by the way!

* * *

"**You take just by insufficient words; trying to snatch it away  
But, with shouting, a person is like a hungry shadow.  
Only my pale heart continues to run,  
Like a sad messenger.**

**Embracing those that can be held with my thirsty flesh,  
Where do you think life is? **

**I question you who are damaged."**

**-- T.M Revolution "Mugen no Kokou"**

**Web of Night**

Chapter 4

"Y-you... what?" For the first time in his life, Roxas saw Naminè's eyes constrict, then widen in shock.

Roxas stared off into space. "I don't know. Why am I feeling what Sora is? I don't..." An abrupt movement distracted the teen as the other blonde moved from her seat to grab his hand. Her expression had grown somber.

"It's like I feared. You see, it's just like I told you. Because you're such a rare case... such a strong pair coming from one powerful heart, you both basically share that heart. And you establish a connection. And if everything had gone right, you would be sharing not only a heart, but a body. You would have become one because in reality, you _are _one." Naminè paused to bite her bottom lip worriedly before continuing, "But Sora awoke without you and because you have a part of his heart that, really, you don't even feel, it doesn't bother you. But Sora _does_, Roxas. The agony of only having half of his heart is going to kill him. And now, you're feeling his pain as well."

Spotting Roxas's bewildered look, Naminè shook her head. "If this continues, the pain you feel will continue to grow as Sora fades. Tell me, what does it feel like?"

Number XIII looked away from her gaze, hesitating. The news about Sora was startling, but not unexpected. Sora really _was_ dying, and it was up to him to save the boy. _Perfect. Just great. And this feeling in his "heart", so to speak, would only get worse._

So what did it feel like? He knew the answer. He knew what it felt like, even if it was impossible. "It felt like someone was ripping my heart out. But that can't be true, I don-"

Naminè shook her head in impatience again, interrupting, "Roxas, you have to talk to Sora. Connect with him like you did before, I mean. He _needs your help_." Her innocent blue eyes stared with an uncharacteristic fierceness. Perhaps it was the look that she was giving him, or the urgency radiating from the girl, but Roxas felt himself nod almost against his will.

He swallowed thickly. "What do I need to do?"

Naminè's lips formed a small smile. That smile... Roxas blinked, trying to rid the meshed images of Kairi and Naminè from his mind's eye. He just barely caught the girl's words.

"Reach out to him with your mind. You two are connected; I think it will be easy for you. You are stronger together than apart, you know."

Jaw tightening, Roxas curled his fingers around the witch's in a vice-like grip. Hoping against hope that this would work, the boy closed his eyes. He was met with the sparkling darkness that was the back of his eyelids. Roxas frowned slightly.

_Concentrate... just find Sora. _His mind set to reaching out across expanses of physical distance to touch his somebody's troubled soul. Time passed without notice. Eventually, even the tense hold around Naminè's hand that had turned almost painful faded away.

Roxas wrenched his eyelids open, knowing that he would no longer see white walls, but muffled black shadows.

Instantly, an overwhelming pain burned through his limbs, his body, clouding everything with a haze of red. What was this? The inside of the brunette's head was an inferno of agony. "S-Sora?" Roxas rasped, choking and falling to his knees.

"_Roxas?"_ A voice, just barely a whisper, sounded somewhere to his left. Grunting back a sob of agony as the unbearable tension in his heart seemed to double, the nobody crawled to the limp figure, half hidden in the shadows.

"_Roxas, help. I can't... my heart..." _

Roxas reached out to touch the wretched figure. His hands passed into the shadows and, to his horror, it dawned on him that the shadows were actually darkness, oozing over the brunette, targeting the heart. Like liquid heartless.

With his last amount of energy, Roxas pulled at Sora's arm, dragging him partially from the black substance. It felt like his body was going to split apart. Or, at least, it did. Tugging harder, he managed to haul Sora out of the shadowy substance. As he did, the throbbing aches were pushed back. Even Sora's incessant quivering was dying down.

"_You are stronger together than apart." _Naminè's mysterious comment now made sense. The burning truth, so to speak. Roxas couldn't help but frown, watching the darkness recede to a dull gray. A mixture, the neutral ground between black and white. Not the pure white that was Sora, but it was enough to ebb the pain.

"Roxas?" Sora's voice came in clear now, not static-like or far away as before. Soft, weak, innocent. His top lip curling in disgust, Roxas looked down at the other teen. Was this really his other? The Light's eternal, blazing champion? What would everyone think if they knew that Sora was half-complete, that the gaping emptiness was allowing darkness and evil to seep inside and torment the boy? _Blasphemous_.

Roxas knew now what Naminè had wanted him to come here for. For Sora to be whole, his nobody had no choice but to rejoin him in body and spirit. Why? Why him? Why couldn't they all just leave him alone and let him live on his empty life in peace? Roxas was stronger than Sora. _I deserve a heart, a normal life... why can't I get it? They all want me to disappear and help Sora. Who would really care about a Nobody, anyway?_

"... what?" Roxas finally sighed, his depressing thoughts muffling the hatred beneath. _No emotions, my ass._

"You made the pain go away." The key blade wielder murmured, sitting up to lock his sapphire eyes on the matching ones of Roxas. "You got rid of the darkness. How? Why?"

_**Why are you always asking me questions? Why? Can't you just let me be? And if I really do tell you... you'll make me go back. I don't want to go back, not when I have so much left back in my own world. Don't... don't make me go back!**_

To Roxas's horror, his inner thoughts were echoing aloud throughout the entire chamber, bouncing to and fro as Sora looked around, his mouth open in astonishment. The obvious fear in the reverberating voice startled even Roxas. Sora tried to sit up, still holding a hand to his chest. "In your... own world? What do you mean? Roxas?"

But by now, Roxas had had enough. He didn't want anything else to do with Sora. Not offering any explanations and not even daring to meet his other's eyes, Roxas fled, dashing out of the room and severing his connection. Breathing wildly, his eyes snapped open, back in Naminè's room. The girl's eyes saw the anger in his face and she hurriedly backed away.

"R-Roxas?" She whispered, holding her notepad close to her chest.

"You!" Roxas snarled, standing to lividly look at the artist. He had an urge to punch something, or, preferably, run it through with a keyblade. His sensible side had him turning and walking out the door before Naminè had a chance to stop him. He hadn't anticipated that she would try, though.

" Roxas, wait, stop!" The pale girl grabbed Roxas's wrists. "Don't! Don't just abandon Sora!"

"Let go of me. I'm not going back to the way I was. I won't. " he said coldly, his voice low and bordering on murderous. Shrugging away her hand, he stormed out, leaving Naminè alone. More than anything right now, he wanted to cool off. Maybe it was time to actually listen to the Superior. Without even thinking, Roxas turned and headed off in the direction of the simulation rooms, his boots echoing in the halls as he stalked past the mindless dusks that soundlessly shifted to let him pass.

**.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.**

"Where do you think Roxas has gotten?" Demyx mused, leaning back in his seat as he tuned his sitar. His coat had been zipped all the way down to show the black shirt he was wearing.

Axel snorted softly, hiding his inner concern and anxiety that was raging. "Maybe he's still talking to the good ol' Superior. Although... knowing him, he probably got lost on the way here."

The remaining members of Organization XIII were sitting about in the room they had dubbed, "The Room that Xemnas Never Comes Into", or the lounge room for short. One of the few rooms where the other brainless Dusks and Berserkers couldn't sidle in, the guys often grouped up here in-between missions. To do mostly nothing.

A wide smirk spread on the short-haired blonde sitting across from Axel. "So our little Roxas really _is_ back, is he?"

"Yeah, he came back. Escaped from DiZ and everything." Axel muttered from his place on the couch where he had thrown his head back to stare up at the high, white ceiling.

Luxord shuffled some more of his trademark cards, his laugh low. The way he cocked his eyebrow at the red-head suggested that he knew more about the situation than he let on. "You don't look too happy, though."

"It's 'cause Roxas knows about Sora now..." Demyx answered solemnly, plucking away at his instrument's strings.

The gambler's yellow eyebrows shot up with intrigue. "Oh really, now?" A vicious little smirk stretched out his lips. "Hope that doesn't make him go traitor on us."

A booming laugh from the right signaled Xaldin's interest in the conversation. "Our little XIII? Please. I doubt he'd have the guts."

The Flurry of Dancing Flames said nothing, one of his hands curling in to form a tight, angry fist until the leather of his glove began to creak. The truth of the matter was that Roxas had more guts than everyone gave him credit for.

The blonde musician nearby finally got an airy, soft tune going. "It's been a little boring without him, to be honest."

The comment brought a small smile to Axel's lips. "Yeah, no one to distract us from Saïx and Xemnas's boring meetings and ravings."

Xaldin slid his fingers through the strange worm-like things that made up his hair and scratched a part of his skull. He had been occupied with sharpening one of his countless pointy things when a question came to mind, "So where'd Saïx slither off to, anyway?"

Across the room, the single eyelid of Xigbar slid open to look over lazily at the Whirlwind Lancer. He had been attempting to sleep, using his coat as a blanket, but found that slumber was eluding him. "Probably worshipping Kingdom Hearts and making a new shrine for it or somethin'."

"Or sucking up to Xemnas, as usual." Axel drawled with a roll of his eyes.

An appreciative chuckle went through the Organization members before a rather somber silence enveloped the room. Kingdom Hearts these days was a rather depressing subject. They all couldn't help but be a little skeptical about the infamous gateway. Would it really give them hearts, as Xemnas promised, or would it be their downfall? At this point, no one knew. Xaldin, Xigbar, Luxord, and Demyx... they never talked about it, but somewhere, they all knew it was getting harder to believe that they were indeed nothing. Emotionless. How could one be emotionless when they're filled with so much anger and suffering?

Axel finally grew tired of the empty feeling spreading through his core and stood, not meeting Demyx's confused eyes. "I'm gonna go look for him."

"Look for who? Roxas?" Demyx asked quickly, but the only response he received was the sound of the door slamming as Axel walked out.

**.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.**

"Roxas!" Sora sat straight up, his hand scrabbling over his shirt as he looked around. Panting almost frantically, Sora's eyes only widened as he realized that he had no idea where he was. This was definitely reality, yes, but what _part_ of reality? The last thing he could remember was the agonizing pain... and Riku? Was Riku here, in this very strange white room?

"Riku?" The spiky-haired teen spoke out into the vacant room, wondering if he would receive a response. Switching tactics, Sora raised his voice, "Goofy? Donald?"

"Donald and Goofy are still asleep."

Sora nearly jumped out of his skin at the unexpected soft words coming from the corner of the room, where he was _certain_ no one had been before. "Who's there?"

Turning in place, Sora came face to face with a hooded figure, hidden in a black coat. The boy's senses buzzed almost sleepily into action, picking up the fact that whoever this was, he was dangerous. "Who are you?"

The stranger stared at him for the longest moment, or at least, Sora thought he was staring. He couldn't really see the figure's eyes, but it seemed that way. Finally, the cloaked man moved forward to tower over him. "How do you feel, Sora?"

Riku watched tentatively as his friend's eyes narrowed in recognition at the sound of his voice. Immediately, the key blade wielder took up a defensive position, scooting back farther away on the bed. His lips curled with anger as those beautiful blue eyes darkened with surprise and hatred. Riku could almost feel his heart breaking inside.

The brunette finally reached the bed's head post and leaned back on it as far as he could. "Ansem! What are you doing here? I thought we destroyed you!"

"Sora..." Riku barely managed a whisper, turning away so that at least he wouldn't have to see the golden eyes of his enemy.

"What have you done with Riku? Give him back! I'll fight you again if I have to, Ansem, you-" Sora's angry words were caught off with a choke as his heart flared up again in protest. Gasping sharply, the boy collapsed back into bed, beginning to shake in a violent manner. Riku was almost instantly at his side, trying to help, but Sora pushed him away with the little force that he had.

"No! Get away! Riku! Kairi! Goofy! Donald!" Screaming the names of his friends in hopes that they would come to help, Sora sank back into the torturous stupor while Riku watched helplessly.

**.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.**

Roxas grunted in pain as his chest was stabbed through again with Sora's anguish. The idiot must have shaken off whatever help he had gotten and started up the throbbing wound once more. If this kept up, Roxas wouldn't be able to get any peace and quiet with these constant near heart attacks. Stubbornly, he attempted to keep walking, but his heart had something else in mind. More pain filtered through his chest, spreading to the rest of his body. Finally, Roxas stumbled. With a quick intake of breath, he tried to keep his balance, but failed miserable and began to fall helplessly to the floor and undoubtedly, onto his face.

"Clumsy as always." In true Deus ex Machina form, lanky arms appeared out of nowhere, snatching Roxas right before he flopped to the floor by grabbing his shoulders and tugging him back.

Roxas blinked briefly as he regained his footing before turning to stare up at a wide, Cheshire-cat grin. Axel. The red-head had somehow managed to find him at the nick of time. "Axel. What are you doing here?"

The chakram user smirked, looping an arm around the blonde's shoulder. He leaned his head down to be somewhat level with the shorter boy's. "I could ask you the same thing. You didn't come to breakfast."

"I, uh, I wasn't hungry anymore." Roxas lied quickly, hoping that his wide eyes wouldn't give anything away to those perceptive green ones.

Axel hummed under his breath, then began tugging the boy back down along the hall. "So you decided to get back to training? And without me? I'm so hurt, Rox..."

Roxas moved along with him without protest, relieved that he wasn't bringing up any more questions. Even better, the pain in his heart was fading as well. "S-sorry... I just didn't know where to find you and I didn't want to bother you."

The red-head nodded as the pair continued to walk along. He was careful to keep the blonde close to him and, unable to resist, he reached out with his other hand to ruffle the boy's unruly spikes. "You can always bother me. I don't mind." He said warmly, grinning again.

A comfortable silence was established as they walked. Another turn in the hallway and they reached the corridor of simulator rooms. Picking the first one on the right, Axel nudged open the door and led the way inside. Upon closing the door, he leaned against it with his shoulder and, in silence, began programming the room for a scenario.

Meanwhile, Roxas walked out into the middle of the area, looking around. He had almost forgotten about these intricately designed rooms. They could take on any territory and conjure up whatever enemy the user wished. Indeed, he and Axel had spent hours at a time here, honing their attacks and abilities.

Before his eyes, the white grid design shifted and molded into a dimly lit alleyway that could only be somewhere in The World That Never Was. Roxas glanced around at the smoky walls and humming neon lights. He quirked an eyebrow at Axel. "Why this?"

The pyro shrugged, stepping away from the building that he had been leaning against. "No reason. You ready to go?"

Roxas nodded stiffly. This was how it always was. Axel or he would ask the other if they were prepared and then the training would begin. There was an unspoken challenge to each one. Whoever can't get up after the round was the loser. Roxas shuddered as he remembered their last fight. Axel had unofficially declared that the winner would be seme for the night.

_Wonder if those rules still stand... _Oathkeeper and Oblivion shimmered into life in Roxas's hands. Axel, in turn, smirked wolfishly. In a showy blaze of fire, his chakrams danced into the red-head's grip.

Roxas couldn't help but grin as well. Training right now was the best possible thing. He didn't have to think about Sora, Riku, Xemnas, or anything else. It was just him and Axel, fighting. Gloriously mindless fighting. With a deep grunt, Roxas pushed off from the floor and flew at his friend, key blades at the ready.

Axel was waiting for him. In a sharp move, he brought up one chakram to block Roxas's attack. The force of the blow drove him back a few feet. "Woah! What's this, Roxas? Working off some steam or something?"

With a yell, Axel swung around his second weapon, driving it for the blonde's side.

"Maybe." Roxas muttered, pushing away from the pyro and jumping nimbly off of the chakram's flat side. He launched himself into the air, flying over Axel to land on the other side. As soon as his feet touched solid ground, a wave of fire rushed at him.

Roxas just managed to dodge. Rubbing ash from his partially singed pants, he briefly twirled Oathkeeper for a better grip before flying back at the red-head.

"Maybe?" Axel laughed, bringing a spinning disk up to shoot another ball of flames at his partner. "For all I know,_ maybe_ you're just sexually frustrated!"

Roxas glowered. Axel always could think of the best battle banter. _Honestly_. With a growl, he slashed both key blades through the fiery orb. It dissipated instantly, but behind the attack was a thrown chakram. _Clang!_ A well placed spinning attack shoved the weapon back into one of the nearby buildings, the tips embedding themselves deeply. Landing back on solid ground, Roxas then counterattacked with a well-timed ice spell.

Axel burned right through it, leaping forward with his weapon out to the side on hopes of performing another slashing attack. Roxas dodged around it, pushing off from the side of the nearest building and jumping away. But Axel thought quickly.

"Or _maybe_ you're just thinking about Sora...?" He turned his body and flung his weapon while Roxas was in mid-dodge. The spiked ring flew right at the blonde. With a deadly thunk, it buried itself into the skyscraper, grabbing a loose part of Roxas's shirt and trapping his left arm in between the spikes at the same time.

Axel stalked forward in triumph. His prey was caught. And so _wiggly_, too. Roxas was getting angry trying to rip his shirt away and wrestle his limb out, but so far, his efforts were delightfully fruitless. He had already dropped his key blades so that he could concentrate on escaping. But Roxas abruptly stopped when he felt his friend grab his free hand and pin it above his head to the wall.

"So... does this mean I win?" Axel purred, leaning in closer. Roxas frowned, trying to jerk his arm away.

"No! Not yet!" He grit his teeth, trying not to look weak, not daring to show how Axel's words had struck home.

"So was I right? Were you thinking about Sora?" With a leisurely smile, he pressed himself to the smaller boy and went to continuing where they had left off that very morning. He blew gently on Roxas's ear before slowly kissing it and licking the outer shell as the nearby chakram faded away.

Roxas gasped, cursing silently at his own weakness, before he tried to escape again. This time, he won. With a forceful shove, Axel was sent back a few feet. Not wasting time, Roxas turned, intent on storming out and perhaps seeking solace in his room.

Axel watched his partner take the first few steps, then decided that perhaps now was the best time to talk. _Ah well... looks like getting into his pants will have to wait._ He sighed mentally. His hand darted out to grab Roxas's wrist, green eyes burning as the blonde turned his head to face him. "Don't turn away from me."

Roxas sharply turned his head to face Axel, looking livid. "...what do you want from me?"

The bitter edge that Roxas had in his voice resulted in Axel frowning and pulling the boy in closer. "Quit being stupid and tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong!" Roxas exclaimed, trying in vain to pull away. Axel still wouldn't let him go. "Just... just let me go!"

"I won't. Not until you tell me what's going in with you." Axel retorted, wrapping one arm around the blonde's waist. He began to soothingly run his fingers through Roxas's hair, hoping to calm him down.

"I... I just..." Roxas could feel his defenses being shot out from under him. Knees shaking, he buried his face in Axel's warmth. "Everything's just so wrong right now."

"Things'll get better, Rox. You just need to stop worrying so much." Axel replied softly, resting his chin finally in the mop of blonde hair.

"Worry? Can we even do that?" asked Roxas bitterly, closing his eyes and looping his arms around Axel's thin waist. The question lingered in the air for a brief second before Axel pulled away to stare down at him.

Roxas almost flinched at the intensity of the green gaze. Axel's fingers began digging into his side. "Roxas, don't give me that. You know better than anyone that no matter what bullshit the Superior feeds us, it's a lie. We _can feel_. I felt so damn worried when you left. Hurt that you left, even. And absolutely fucking overjoyed when you came back. And this whole time, I still love you. _Love you_, Roxas. And don't let anyone tell you any different."

The fierce words rendered Roxas speechless for a moment. Axel... worried, happy, hurt... loving. In fact, Roxas was feeling quite an onslaught of emotions himself. An overwhelming feeling of guilt settled into the pit of his stomach. Guilt of leaving Axel to mull in his wretched anxiety. He regretted not believing Axel before. Pain and fear of what was to come later. Too many emotions, too many feelings. Too much uncertainty of how those emotions could even exist.

"You love me?" He eventually found himself forming words to ask a very stupid question.

Axel rolled his eyes, snorting as he tugged Roxas back into another warm embrace. "Of course, you idiot. I'm the only one, probably, to love someone as stupid as you. Just like you're the only one... who makes me feel. And has me believe that I really do have a heart. Doesn't even matter to me if it's there or not. As long as I have you." He added in a breathless whisper, clutching at the blonde tightly.

"Y-yeah... me too." Roxas closed his eyes, allowing himself a tiny smile. So small that it was almost... nothing at all.

* * *

THE END! xDD Not really. We still need Sora to get better!

Ah, that's so short, though. Since I usually write each chapter about 10 pages at a time, I decided to stop here and have the smex, Riku wreaking his wangsty goodness, and Roxas finally making his decision in the next chapter or two. This fic really is quite short. It most likely won't even get past 10 chapters. I'm estimating maybe 3-4 more. Luckily, I've already got most of the ending figured out already. Then I'll start on my OTHER Akuroku. Which will be long, hopefully beta'd a bit, a good.

"Ja ne, sempai!" -snicker- Poor Vexen.


	5. Chapter 5

I'm not going to pretend that I didn't tear up when I saw Axel and Roxas's last scene on the train tower. I am such a hopeless nerd xD

IN ANY CASE! I hath plotted and totally planned out the rest of the storyline for Web. There'll be 8 chapters! Which means only three more after this! It was not, after all, meant to be long. Or particularly good, now that I give it a bit more thought. In fact, I might just finish this baby in early May. Shweet. I'm definetly excited to finish this, though. Well, granted, I'll be sad, but this will be the first ever fanfic I've seen through to the very end. And Web was actually meant to be 7 chapters! But at the last second, I decided to add in an extra chapter, mostly for my own giddy little benefit. Where the drama is at a very low minimum xD

Along with this, I'll be wrapping up two other fics on my other screenname, Marimo. This will give me room to work on my upcoming Akuroku, Soriku, Zemyx story thing, and an Escaflowne thing I've already started. It feels so nice to kind of shrug off these long-term stories that have been sitting on your head for months at a time, and then pick up your pencil and jump into something _fresh_. Trying new things and all that. Web of Night, for example, was my first _try new thing_ attempt. I'm happy with it. I'm rather satisfied with how I finally conveyed the thoughts that have been swirling in my head for ages now, and it's good to get it out. -ramble to self, blah blah blah-

In any case! Thankee, all, for your reviews. Especially to Spade. MANY THANKS! -glomp of love and pretty things-

I take great glee in finding these songs that fit perfectly with my chapters. Well, maybe not this one. But it's too damn pretty not to stick in here. So sue me, I'm addicted to my music xD

And I do believe this is the chapter that you've all waited for. Hrmmm.

* * *

"**Before long, the undying flame in you will bring us together as it shines in your heart.**

"**Your beautiful smile, it moves my heart  
when I'm stuck within a storm.  
I want to protect you, give you everything,  
because those thoughts turn into strength for me."**

**-- Hajime Chitose "Kataritsugu Koto"**

**Web of Night**

Chapter 5

Any other person would have cracked or broken down by now. Maybe even run away from it all. Not Riku. Never Riku. Especially when it was Sora's life that was on the line. Sure, his body was shaking with the pressure and he was going to tumble over the edge of sanity any minute now, but for now... for now, he would hold on. For Sora. He would carry the burden willingly until the brunette could do it himself.

Another head-splitting howl ripped through the chamber. Riku winced from where he was sitting, leaning against the door leading into Sora's room. He had been screamed at enough to realize that Sora didn't want him there. The silver-haired man left, obliging Sora's fierce demands that he 'get out', only to be drawn back, hovering at the border, unable to go any farther with such an evil façade and a dark soul. So he contented himself by sitting at the edge, watching, listening, but unable to do anything. Sora would never admit him inside while he sported Ansem's face and power.

Riku had been sitting, waiting there for quite some time now. There wasn't anything else he found that he could occupy himself with. A sick,_ sick_ part of his mind wanted him to remain by Sora and listen to him screaming, wanting to hear his name be ripped from the young boy's raw throat. Disgusted with himself, Riku had almost left then. Almost. But his legs remained planted on the floor and so he had remained as well.

A particularly emotional yell slammed through the teen's ears, sparking a new wave of shivers to course through his body.

Grunting, Riku impatiently curled his fingers into fists as he glared at the gloved hands. The screaming only continued. Sora had given up yelling coherent words a few hours ago. Now, the boy's lungs were hoarse and tired. All the Hero of Light could manage were the animal-like shrieks and moans.

"He's going to die in no time at all." A cold voice invaded Riku's anguished atmosphere. He twitched, glaring up at the red-bandaged scientist who had taken on a very annoying habit of entering in silence.

"_I know_." Riku growled out.

"Perhaps it is time you attempted another retrieval of our nobody." The emotionless man said, his tone rather bland. He looked down at the miserable looking Riku, clasping his hands behind his back.

Riku looked away, attempting to hide his pent-up frustration as DiZ took a step forward. "He's deep in the Organization by now, protected by friends. It won't be that easy."

The older male shook his head. "Naminè has informed me that the only help Roxas will accept in battle is from his companion, Axel. The Flurry of Dancing Flames. I believe you've met him, yes?"

Riku grunted noncommittally. "Briefly, yes." He still had a few burn marks along his body to prove it.

"The boy's strength is fire, I believe?" DiZ pressed. The younger teen rolled his eyes, hoping he was going somewhere with this. "Then I think it is safe to say that he will give you minimal difficulty if you leave tonight."

"Hmph. Why do you say that?" Riku frowned, turning his head sharply to meet the identical yellow irises. Despite the crimson bandages, he could've _sworn_ that DiZ was smirking at him.

"I suggest you check the weather reports tonight for the World That Never Was..." He replied in his usual cryptic manner.

Riku's golden eyes narrowed considerably before he buzzed into action and stood. As he did so, another scream tore from the other room. Sora was in pain again. DiZ tilted his head at the door.

"... for I'm afraid that Sora does not have much time remaining."

"Ch." With an impatient growl, Riku stalked past DiZ, hoping that the scientist had not noticed how his hands had begun shaking violently as he walked out. Check the forecast, huh? _Sounds ridiculous... but if he's talking about what I think he is... then this just might work._

**.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.**

"Y'know, I still say the problem was sexual frustration, Rox."

"Axel, I really think that that's your _own_ problem."

Axel snickered to himself, leaning forward to lick the blonde's cheek. Roxas yelped indignantly, rubbing away at the saliva. The two had settled down to sit side by side on the dusky floor of the simulation room. They were still in the alleyway, now a bit worse for wear. There were deep holes in the buildings and at least half of the area was covered with a thin layer of ash.

The pair, unwilling to return to reality, silently agreed to remain here. It was peaceful, at least. The whole dilemma with Roxas's unwillingness to explain his inner conflictions to Axel had yet to be solved, however. But at least they had returned to old grounds of fond bickering and gentle teasing. Axel had already tugged the smaller boy to sit in-between his legs so that Blondie could lean back against his chest. Rather pleased with himself at getting Roxas into such a position, Axel went back to propping his chin on the unruly mane of hair as his arms looped around the temptingly warm waist in front of him.

"I really wish you'd stop lying to me, Roxas. I know you better than anyone, I can tell that there's something on your mind." mused Axel, mumbling into the boy's hair.

Still, Roxas remained stubborn. Those blue eyes remained at half-mast, looking out languidly at the building across from them. The heat emanating from Axel's unnaturally warm body was making him relax too much. Sleepy, even. "There's nothing on my mind. And since I know _you_ better than anyone, I wish you'd do something out of character for once and drop the subject."

"Hey, there are a lot of things you don't know about me!"

Roxas snorted half-heartedly, unwilling to get worked up. "Like what?"

Axel hummed to himself, tilting his head to bury his nose into the irresistible blonde spikes. "Like how I really, _really_ want to get in your pants right now, but you won't let me 'cause you're too wrapped up in your own problems and won't learn to relax for once. And that I really want to smack you because you're not giving into my irresistible charms..."

"There's a first time for everything." chuckled Roxas with a lazy slur, a slow smile spreading across his lips at the thought of Axel having 'irresistible charms.' This was coming from a lanky idiot who hit on Roxas at every chance he got and made it a habit to go to bed every night with a teasing and, more often than not, perverted comment at the irked blonde.

"Don't get cocky, you jerk, you fell for them before."

Ouch. That was sadly undisputable. To score back a few points in the argument, Roxas elbowed the red-head behind him in the stomach. "Shut up."

Axel huffed. "Very graceful, blondie."

"Prick."

"Prude."

"Dumbass."

"Tease."

"Wonder what time it is..." Roxas changed the subject with a soft murmur, wiggling into a more comfortable position on Axel. At the same time, his back casually rubbed against Axel's lower regions. The chakram-user hissed in protest. "Watch what you're doing!"

"Heh, sorry." Roxas grinned to himself while Axel muttered to himself about 'stupid tease' and 'I'll show him...'

"And for your information, it's almost nightfall. We've been here practically forever. In any case..." Axel coughed, pushing back the urge to just jump the damn kid here and now. "Are you gonna tell me?"

Roxas was ready with another calm answer. "Nothing to tell."

"Hn." Pouting slightly, Axel went through his options. He could either pester the kid until he gave in, beat it out of him, or drop the subject. _Hm. I have a better idea..._

With a sly smirk, the pyro slowly peeled off his gloves. Axel decided to return to his favorite past time. Tickle the Roxas. Before the dual-wielder had detached himself from the Organization, Axel had had the honor of finding out that Number XIII was ticklish. And it worked absolute wonders when he wanted something from the younger teen. _And so, without further ado..._

Biting back his eager giggles, Axel flexed his nimble fingers that were resting on Roxas's stomach. Then, he began _the poking._

Roxas gasped sharply. His body naturally stiffened as he began wriggling to get away from the probing fingers, the poking tickles. Unable to keep from laughing, Roxas was dismayed to find that his friend had effectively caught him in his arms. "Haha, no! STOP! Ax-hahaha-_Axel_!"

Axel leaned forward to press his lips to Roxas's ear and whisper, "Only if you spill."

Frantically laughing and flailing about like a rag doll, Roxas would have given his left kidney to make the tickling stop. When he didn't immediately agree to the proposition, Axel dug his fingers in deeper, practically squeezing out giggles from the younger blonde. Roxas attempted to choke out a reply, when another stab of pain embedded itself into his chest. _Sora_.

Axel couldn't at first realize it, but he soon knew something was wrong when Roxas replaced his laughter with half-stifled moans of pain. There was no way that tickling could make dissolve Roxas into a whimpering mush like that. He was even attempting to curl up into a ball. Easy atmosphere disappearing, the red-head's eyebrows lifted in confusion and slight panic. Roxas turned in place to grasp at Axel's coat. "It hurts... worse than before..."

Bewildered and now ever more frantic, Axel did the first thing that came to mind. He yanked Roxas into a tight embrace, whispering what he hoped would sooth the twitching boy. "It's alright, it's ok... I'm here, just relax, Roxie..."

Running his hands over the boy's spine, Axel kept up this treatment until Roxas finally let out a rattling sigh, slumping against the red-head's chest. "Th-thanks..."

"You alright?" Axel looked down at the boy who was sprawled across his chest. As soon as the blonde nodded, he grunted and pushed Roxas forward so that he could look directly into his eyes. "Good. Now you can tell me _what the hell that was_."

It seemed at first that Roxas wasn't going to say anything. His bright eyes searched Axel's, which had narrowed. Finally, he looked away, unable to face the intense gaze. "Where do you want me to start?"

"Hmph, anywhere you like." Axel frowned, watching Roxas as he settled back to sit on his folded legs and place his trembling hands in his lap. He looked almost frightened.

"Well, you already know that Sora is my other. DiZ and Naminè had been trying to make me rejoin him when I was kidnapped. But I tore myself out and remembered everything again." Roxas glanced up at his friend, who nodded, listening intently.

He continued, "But it came with a price. Sora was still alive and he woke up this morning. Except I'm not there, with him, anymore. After Naminè had carefully worked to restore him, I ripped apart the connections and left Sora with half his heart. And now that he's awake, he's feeling that pain of only having that half."

"So where's the other part?" Axel asked, already knowing the answer.

"It's in me," Roxas said softly, closing his eyes. "Sora and I, we're connected. And I feel his pain now. It's just a faint shadow, but I sense it. Sora's _dying_, Axel. No doubt, DiZ and Riku are now going completely out of their way to bring me back and restore me to that way I was."

Axel leaned back, processing the information. Roxas said nothing, staring down now at his clenched fists.

"You realize, don't you, that there's no way in hell that I'm going to let them take you back, right?" Roxas looked up sharply at Axel's words, eyes wide. The red-head smirked,

"What? Did you expect me to back down quietly? You're _mine_, Rox. I'd like to see them take you away from me." The words held a fierce undertone as Axel's green eyes glimmered dangerously. Roxas blinked, feeling something well up in his chest. He had no idea what it was, but it successfully impaired his speech. The slew of emotions created a lump in his throat. He was suddenly grateful for the pyro's supporting presence. It seemed that he had practically taken Axel for granted.

"Axel..." He muttered, chewing his bottom lip briefly. "You... god, you're so hopeless." With a weak laugh, he leaned forward to latch his hands around the back of Axel's neck and drag him into rough kiss. The hazardous balloon in his chest popped.

Axel, fast on the uptake and wasting no time, curled his arms securely around the smaller teen and pulled him back. As Roxas's hands began threading through his red spikes, Axel pressed his lips back just as insistently, his eyes closing as contentment spread through his core. This had definitely been worth the wait, he decided.

It wasn't long before Axel's tongue was sliding into Roxas's easily pliable mouth and Roxas's one hand was fumbling with the other's zipper. Axel abruptly cut the kiss short, moving his mouth down the blonde's jaw line, then his neck, before changing course and kissing back up to Roxas's number one weakness.

Roxas gasped harshly, his eyes clenching shut as Axel bit sharply at the skin underneath his ear before lapping at the stinging mark. Axel laughed gently through his continuing kisses, "I love it when you do that..."

His breath raised a path of goose bumps on the slightly tan skin. Roxas held back a shudder, tilting his head to give Axel more access. At the same time, his hips jerked forward, creating an almost painful friction between their two bodies. Axel purred, still intent on those deliciously cute ears.

"Bastard..." Roxas whispered, his breathing becoming rapid as his earlobe was gently sucked on. Meanwhile, Axel's hands had come up to run up and down his sides, eventually slipping underneath the tight black shirt. The pyro's heated hands palmed against Roxas's stomach, spreading warmth through his body. His fingers pulled upwards, tugging the shirt past his chest... higher... higher...

"Wait." Roxas stiffly pulled away, his eyelids sliding open once more to peer into Axel's, misty with lust. "You feel that?"

Axel looked a bit irritated for a moment at the interrupting but nevertheless, he listened, allowing his desire to simmer down a fraction. He suddenly raised an eyebrow. He sensed it too. There was an increased feeling of caution in the room. An intruder was outside. "Who do you think it is?"

Roxas took on a gloomy expression, his eyes losing the glassy look. He grunted, slumping forward again to bury his face in the nook between Axel's neck and shoulder. His limbs felt heavy and moving was the last thing he wanted to do. Kissing the exposed collar bone, Roxas couldn't help but feel absolutely frustrated with himself.

"I have a feeling. We need to go."

"Or we could ignore whoever the hell that is and continue with this." Axel said matter-of-factly while his hands, still trapped underneath Roxas's shirt, began to gently knead Roxas's hips.

"If only."

"Are you saying that you don't want me to fu-"

Roxas abruptly shoved the red-head's hands away, hurriedly standing. "That's not what I'm saying at all! I'm just saying that we need to go. I'm sorry." He knelt down, pressing a quick kiss to Axel's lips. "We'll get back to this soon, alright? Stop giving me that look. It won't work, Axel, I'm serious."

The pouty face Axel had put on disappeared as he stood as well; zipping up his leather coat and tugging the leather gloves back onto his slim fingers, he sniffed and looped an arm casually around the shorter Nobody's shoulder. "You're no fun."

"Oh, shut up."

**.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.**

Riku arrived in the lone alleyway of the World That Never Was. True to DiZ's word, it had begun to rain. The older man flicked back the cowl of his coat to turn his face skywards. The tiny droplets sent miniscule sensations along the pale skin. It was cold. Lucky that his coat was rather weather-resistant. All he had left to do now was wait for Roxas and Axel to be alerted to his intrusion. _They'll come running soon enough._

The light rain increased into a heavy downpour. Riku ignored the water that was seeping into his hair and chilling him. The rain was a welcome change from the numbness he felt while he sat at Sora's doorstep. In all honesty, Riku preferred rain over any other kind of weather.

A single rain drop barely created a stir on the pavement of the world, but little by little, when the amount of drops increased, so did the effect. Single-handedly, a simple downpour could cleanse an entire street of grime and dust, leaving behind a fresh, cold slate. At the same time, as the streams of rainwater rushed onwards in their journey to the grates set into the streets, they were no longer clean and clear. The rain took it upon itself to absorb the dirt, sullying itself as it unknowingly purified the earth.

Riku slowly turned to watch one of the said streams, a dusty brown, swept down into the sewers. _It may seem silly... but this rain reminds me of Sora. _

Sora. Just like the rain, little by little, he was doing his part to eradicate the evil from the worlds. Darkness and filth slid off of the brunette like oil. For the rest of his days, the teen would remain clean. He didn't even realize it, but his very presence was like a cleansing process. Not even when he was destroying heartless and nobodies. Riku thought back to the time when they had met briefly in Traverse Town.

_I was already tainted. Forever marked with this black heart. But when I saw Sora... for a moment, I felt pure. And it hurt. It hurt how he can thrive, even when overwhelmed with darkness, while I just gave in._

But even as the boy battled through the worlds, clearing the grime-covered roads, Sora unwittingly took the grief upon himself. He would find out one day what happened to the heartless, what they really were, and where their stolen hearts were taken. The truth would either break him or make him stronger.

The rain began to hammer down heavily on Riku's head. Even after he had betrayed Sora, the brunette had refused to give up. So what about now? _I had willingly taken on this dark power. It's too late for me now. But what will Sora think? _

_Will you ever be able to purify me, Sora?_

"Back again, are you?"

A sneering voice brought Riku back to attention. The golden eyes of Ansem narrowed at the sight of the two Nobodies. The tension in the rain-soaked street increased. A fight was coming.

Roxas had grabbed his coat on the way out. He had taken on the full appearance of an Organization member again. Axel stood nearby, glowering at the overall _wetness._ He hated the rain.

The blonde now looked on at the silver-haired man before him from a new perspective. Armed with his own knowledge, as well as Sora's memories, Roxas found himself angered, as well as saddened by Riku's presence.

"Does Sora know?" He said slowly, unperturbed by the furious onslaught of rain that was flattening his golden spikes.

Riku halted in mid-step, where he had been about to initiate the smaller Nobody in combat. "What are you talking about?"

"Does Sora know?" Roxas repeated patiently, ignoring the edgy stirrings from Axel beside him. "That you've taken on his enemy's power? Have you even tried telling him?"

"I don't want him to see me like this." Riku muttered, unwilling to show how much Roxas's words hurt.

"He _cares_ about you, Riku. You should know better than anyone that he'd still accept you if you explained. He might not understand your reasons, but he'll take you back in. Because he's _Sora_. He's a gullible, forgiving idiot, and he does stuff like that."

Roxas didn't even know why he was telling Riku this. He was completely aware that the man had come to take him back to the very thing he wanted to avoid, but he couldn't help himself. The blonde had a strange feeling that Sora was actually present, lurking somewhere in the back of his mind.

"And if you love him... then you should at least try to tell him. He'd want that. Because while he is gullible and sometimes an idiot... he's not stupid. You're not giving him enough credit. Don't put him through the pain of losing you again. Don't run away just because you think it's for his own good."

Riku couldn't hold back a flinch at Roxas's words. For a moment, he could've sworn that he saw Sora through those glaring blue eyes. But it wasn't Sora. It was Roxas. A fake Sora. He growled, "Don't talk as if you actually know what your words mean, Nobody."

"How about you realize that I know more about Sora than you think I do, huh?" Roxas yelled angrily, losing his cool demeanor. Oblivion and Oathkeeper flashed into his hands. Without warning, he went into an offensive position and flew at Riku.

His quick reflexes just barely saved him. Throwing up his just-summoned Way to Dawn, Riku blocked the attack. Roxas glared at the man over their weapons that were now pressed against each other. "And I know perfectly well what it's like to willingly turn my back on the most important person to me, so that he won't be in danger."

At those words, Axel blinked in surprise from where he was watching the fight. _Roxas would say something touchy-feely like that during a battle. Dork..._

Riku's eyes only narrowed farther at Roxas's ferocious tone. With a snarl, he pushed the younger male away, immediately retaliating with a slash at his exposed side. Roxas parried the blow before dropping to the ground and attempting a sweeping attack with his two weapons. Riku rose into the air, avoiding the attack, then disappeared from sight.

Roxas straightened as fast as he could, simultaneously scanning the area, but even he didn't foresee the Ansem-clone materializing behind him and grabbing his neck. The silver-haired fighter leaned forward, mouth set in a determined slash. "You're dead, Roxas."

The blonde didn't even have time to shoot back an angry retort. With an almost casual sweep of Riku's arm, he was sent flying head on into the nearest building. He crashed through the outer, cement-like layer. The rising dust from the impact was washed away by the rain.

"Shit..." Axel frowned, looking to see that Roxas had collapsed in the debris of the building, swathed in dirt with his coat in shreds. A small stream of blood was running from his temple. _Probably unconscious._ It unsettled Axel on how easily Riku had taken care of Roxas. Almost dismayed at how fast the fight had ended, the red-head realized that Riku was _extremely pissed_. And angry combatants were always a lot more dangerous.

_No choice now but to take Roxas's place._

As Riku was striding forward to snatch up Roxas, already defeated, Axel took a step forward, unexpectedly appearing in front of the other, blocking his way. "Yo. Don't think your fight is over already."

A slow smirk spread on the older man's face at the determined look in Axel's eye. "Don't you think you're at a bit of a disadvantage? The Flurry of Dancing Flames won't be doing much flurrying in a downpour."

Now it was Axel's turn to sneer. "You think that, do you? For your information, Riku or Ansem, or whoever the hell you are, just because my strength is fire..." In his hands, his pair of chakrams swirled into life, "... doesn't mean that I can't fight. Sorry if that puts a damper on your plans."

Already pissed, Riku's mood only worsened. He had underestimated the Organization Member. "Fine. Give me your best shot."

"I was going to ask you the same thing."

Enraged at how cocky the red-head was, Riku snapped. With an angry roar, he brought his keyblade forward in a stabbing motion. A chakram met his attack with an effective block. Unperturbed, Riku took a step back. Knocking away the second circular weapon that was coming up on his side, he built up a small boost of energy and charged the Nobody. The fight's intensity increased as the pair's weapons became smudges of color. Zipping back and forth, landing blows and blocking, both Riku and Axel put all of their power into their attacks. The rain only continued to fall, oblivious to the life-or-death situation raging in The World That Never Was.

Axel grit his teeth, keeping up with every one of Riku's furious onslaughts. The curtain of rain was slowly starting to obstruct his vision and the rain was having a deleterious numbing effect on his limbs. _But at least I know that Riku's having the same problem... heh._

Nevertheless, the fight would have to end soon. Roxas still needed medical attention. Axle noted how Riku, even growing wearier, never lost his precise techniques in his fighting. He didn't get sloppy.

But sloppy or not, the man was capable of mistakes. With a particularly forceful thrust, Riku stabbed Way of Dawn at Axel in hopes of gutting the red-head. A painful crunching noise sounded, but it wasn't Axel's bones breaking or the keyblade tearing through skin.

Riku glared at the chakram that had successfully caught the length of his keyblade in one of the metal rings built into the circular weapon. He didn't miss the little grin that Axel flashed him. With a flick and a twist, Axel tugged Way to Dawn from Riku's hands and sent it flying before bringing his chakram around to the silver-haired man's neck, while another swung around to press its deadly spikes into his back. Green eyes blazed into his.

Riku barely even registered that the battle was over. His body stiffened as the spikes poked hard into his skin.

"Go home." Axel muttered, not hiding his evident anger, "Just leave. And don't come back."

Riku managed to shoot Axel one final glower before disappearing. Once again... he had lost. Riku had lost. Ansem had lost. Sora... was lost.

**.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.**

Roxas felt cold. Very cold. Chilled to the bone. But a warmth, starting somewhere in his legs, was spreading slowly through the rest of his body.

That's when the pain hit him. Yelping, he finally opened his eyes to see the very concerned face of Axel. "Roxas! You ok?"

He stared at the other Nobody, trying to recall what had happened. It appeared as though they were back in Axel's room and he was in bed. All of his limbs were aching and throbbing. "Feels like... I've been run over by a stampede of Dusks... what happened?"

"We went to fight Riku and the bastard threw you into a building, if you'll recall." Axel sat back again, returning to what he had been doing before Roxas had regained consciousness.

The blonde realized that he was only in his boxers again. The rest of his drenched clothes were hanging over the only chair in the room, drying. Upon further inspection, Roxas saw that Axel was in the same situation, clothes-wise. The generally spiky red hair was wet and hanging limply around the teen's shoulders, some even falling across the thin, lanky chest.

A throbbing sensation in his leg brought the boy back to his senses. Roxas winced as the dampened cloth swept across a gash in his thigh again. He carefully lifted himself up. "I look like a mess..."

There were multiple bruises across his body. A stinging in his cheek informed him that were was a scratch there. Now he remembered. He was cold because of the rain. Rubbing away some dry blood from his arm, Roxas looked over at Axel, who was silently washing his leg wounds with a deceptive calmness. "What about you?"

"I'm fine... mostly bruised, though, and my coat is beyond ruined."

The careful way Axel seemed to be choosing his words put Roxas on edge. "And Riku?"

Axel shrugged. "Kicked his sorry ass and sent him home."

The news was a surprise to Roxas. "You didn't kill him?"

"Nah. Besides... I couldn't, after your stupid speech about Sora..."

Number XIII quieted at that, watching as Axel set to wrapping the thigh-wound with an uncharacteristic tenderness. A comfortable silence had managed to settle between the two when Axel spoke, "Did you mean it, what you said before?"

Roxas hesitated, knowingly immediately what he was referring to. "Yeah. I meant it. Every word."

He looked up to see Axel staring at him. Obviously, he had been waiting for the right time to ask that question. That explained his forced calmness from before.

"I'm glad..." The red-head moved forward with the cloth as if to wipe the cut on Roxas's cheek when, instead, he dipped his head and licked away at the wound, like a cat.

Startled, Roxas yelped and lost his balance, tumbling back onto the pillows. Axel followed right after him, tossing away the wet cloth as he perched over the blonde. Roxas could feel the warmth radiating from the older teen, like before. "Aren't you too worn out from your fight?"

Leaning in, the red-head smiled, touching his nose to the smaller male's. "For this? Never."

"Now..." He mumbled, breathing slowly out of his nose. "Didn't you promise that we would continue this?"

"I-but..." stuttered Roxas helplessly, closing his eyes. It was too much. How could Axel just expect to have sex now, when he had so much on his mind? Sora was still in danger, Riku was after his blood, he had just been chucked through a _wall_ not too long ago, and Axel already wanted to jump him? The swirling thoughts were overwhelming and for once, Roxas didn't want to think it through or resolve things. Maybe, just this once, he could let it go and relax.

"Roxa-as... earth to Rox." Axel let out a brief chuckle, pressing his lips gently to Roxas's.

_Yes... _Roxas smiled to himself, letting himself and his thoughts go. There would be plenty of time to think things through tomorrow. It was time he lived a little.

"Axel?" He whispered, opening his eyes again. Axel was grinning again.

"You spaced out on me. If we're going to do this..." He ran a single finger down Roxas's bare chest. "... then you need to stop doing that."

Roxas shivered, reaching out with both hands to cup them around Axel's cheeks. His thumbs gently brushed over the triangle tattoos while Axel watched with a gentle expression. Finally, he pulled the red-head down until their lips were almost touching. "Deal."

"Makes this a lot easier for me, then." Axel said huskily, then closed the distance between them, capturing Roxas's lips.

Roxas let out a muffled 'mph' sound as Axel lowered himself fully onto the blonde's body, having grown tired of propping himself up on either side of him. The kiss didn't break. Axel's hands were drifting along Roxas's sides, playing with the waistband of the troublesome boxers while he pushed deeper, his tongue slipping past the pink lips to taste the sweet inside of the blonde's mouth.

It was intoxicating. The boy's hair still smelled like rain, and his cold body created a sharp contrast to his own humid one. As he pinned Roxas's tongue down with his own, caressing the soft muscle, Roxas reached up to dig his hands up into Axel's hair, his fingers softly raking through the red spikes. Axel grunted in approval, moving his mouth away from Roxas's to travel down his neck.

"Axel..." Roxas breathed as the red-head latched onto the sensitive skin, nipping and sucking gently. He could already feel himself growing weak and light-headed as the lust took over his senses. Sparks were going off in his head, and he thought he heard himself moan.

He squirmed as Axel's tongue, teeth, and lips continued to abuse his neck. Elsewhere, Axel's hands had skimmed upward to run over his chest. The warmth and sparks were traveling down, curling up at the bottom of his stomach. The sensations made Roxas's hips jerk into Axel's. An appreciative moan escaped Axel's lips as he firmly ground his own arousal back down against Roxas's.

Now Axel's mouth had joined his hands, sliding in a downwards direction, kissing and sucking, leaving bite marks as he paused to slowly nuzzle the blonde's stomach. Roxas was unable to bite back a soft sigh at the tender expression.

"I love you, too, Axel, now get on with it."

"As you wish." Axel didn't wait any longer, his hand slipping in to grasp Roxas fully, stroking his full length. Any other coherent thoughts were swept away from Roxas as he gasped, arching back while his eyes rolled into the back of his head. Axel's mouth found his again, kissing him deeply, distracting him while his free hand went to tug away Roxas's shorts.

Roxas couldn't even hold back the soft gasps and moans that were spilling freely from him. The red-head began to gently nibble on his bottom lip, still stroking, harder, becoming less controlled. Roxas allowed his hands to reach down and tug at the remaining article of clothing that was _so_ in the way.

"Off..." He mumbled breathlessly, looking up again at the shining green eyes that he had grown to love.

Wordlessly, Axel sat up, quickly discarding his own boxers before returning to Roxas with another insistent kiss, trailing down again to softly tease his sensitive ears, earning more groans from the blonde. Roxas was slightly confused when his hands didn't return back to the caressing. Then he felt fingers gently trail down his thigh, nudging his legs apart.

"Axel..." Roxas shuddered, feeling the familiar pleasure of a finger penetrating him. Axel's face hovered near his, gently licking and kissing his neck, then his ears, back to his cheeks and lips, distracting him. The red spikes clung to his sweat-covered skin, creating a tickling sensation.

Still, the stretching increasing as a second digit was added. The blonde latched his arms tightly onto Axel's, burying his face in the warm shoulder, stifling his uncontrollable gasps and moans.

Soon enough, Axel had found that spot, hitting it and eliciting more unrestrained whimpers from his lover. The pyro purred as Roxas tried to swallow down another cry, grasping at the thin shoulders. The two eyes met briefly, blue to green. Axel reached out to lick at Roxas's kiss-bruised lips.

"Stop that. I want to hear you."

With that, he pulled Roxas's leg up slightly as the fingers disappeared. Roxas immediately latched his legs around the lanky waist, knowing what was coming. Axel didn't waste any time, pulling the blonde towards himself and sliding his own length in.

Roxas moaned hoarsely as Axel entered him completely and they connected in the most intimate way possible. He clutched harder at Axel as he set a tempo, willing the thrusts to go faster, but hoping that the mind-blowing pleasure wouldn't stop as he rocked his body along with Axel.

Each thrust came harder, deeper, wracking Roxas's body as Axel breathed hard. He could hear him, gasping right into his ear as he continued to nuzzle and kiss his neck. Roxas could do nothing. His entire body, battle wounds forgotten, now only wanted release. Was he just yelling and panting, or was Axel's name somewhere among his own desperate cries? He couldn't hear anymore. It was just too much pleasure, too much Axel, too much of _everything_.

He barely felt the tongue near his ear or Axel's hands, one of which was holding up his legs, while the other had returned to caressing his length. His entire senses were going into overload at the increasing pressure building up.

Roxas pulled Axel as close to himself as possible, his eyes squeezing shut. Finally, the release came and his body alternately stiffened, and relaxed. He could faintly feel Axel shuddering and murmuring something. Everything was too fuzzy, too blurry and out of focus. Roxas eventually sank into blissful darkness.

**.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.**

DiZ looked up from his computers, which rattled with the force of the dark portal that had materialized in the middle of his lab.

"Judging from your bedraggled appearance, I can surmise that the attempt did not go well."

Riku tore off the ruined, wet coat, looking at the scientist out of the corner of his eye. "Well, you can have the pleasure of knowing that your surmising is correct. It seems we underestimated the power that the Flurry of Dancing Flames holds."

The observant man took in the furious looks that he was getting from Ansem before standing. "I have managed to acquire new information for you."

"Oh really? What is it?" Riku didn't even bothering pretending to look interested as he inspected a stab wound in his shoulder.

"It appears that Roxas may only return willingly to Sora's body. Sora has to be willing to accept Roxas back, and likewise, the Nobody must become one with no protest. This held true before, when Sora was sleeping, but I found that it is the same now. So even if you had captured Roxas today, your efforts would have been fruitless."

Riku bit back his enraged comments with difficulty. "Good of you to find that out now, DiZ. Heaven forbid that you tell me information that I need,_ when_ I need it."

Ignoring the sarcastic comment, DiZ sat down once more, turning back to his computers. "It is up to Sora now to convince his Nobody to return. It is out of our hands."

The other male didn't reply. Grabbing the ruined coat, he swept out of the room, knowing already where his legs were automatically going to take him.

Unbeknownst to them, a set of ears had heard every word through the thin walls. Sora's ears. And the news was intriguing, to say the least.

Sora sat back, unconsciously rubbing the area over his heart. It had been oddly quiet for the past hour. Satiated, almost. The brunette glanced over at the only window in the room, where the rain was softly drumming against the glass. He had nothing to do now, except mull over the new information he had heard through the door. And confront Ansem. Or was it Riku?

And, more importantly, what was he going to do about Roxas?

Settling back into the rumpled pillows, the Hero of Light scraped a hand through his disheveled hair. Although the next step to take wasn't obvious yet, he was sure that it would come to him soon enough.

Outside of the room, meanwhile, Riku had returned to settle back into his usual spot by Sora's door. Sitting down, he noted that it had been quiet for some time. The morbid side of him considered that perhaps his friend had died already. The optimistic side ... well, that just didn't exist anymore.

With an inaudible sigh, Riku sat back to stare out the nearby window. Outside, he could hear the rain gently pattering against it. He closed his eyes, imagining those little drops of fresh rain, each one a small Sora, cleansing the world of sin.

* * *

Holy flippin' crap, that was my longest chapter evar for this story. And for a while, actually. I feel brain-dead and totally out of it. Lemon writing wipes me out, as I found out. I didn't read through this chapter was painstakingly as I usually do, and that's really 'cause I'm tired and wanted to get this done. So if ya see any mistakes... feel free to correct me xD

_Edittttteeeedddd:_ BUT! I've come back and editted most of the mistakes out of this. Although... knowing me... there's probably still more.

Still. I'm very proud of some parts of this story. Other parts... not so much. I dunno. Let's get this baby up to 20 reviews! Woo!

The Demon Ororon is one of the best mangas i've read and it's been taking up my time like a sponge takes up water. W00t, LOLZHAXORZ!

I have a headache. Blergh. But anyway! See you next time, yo.


	6. Chapter 6

RAWR! -runs around in frantic circles- Ok, so Nomura finally started spilling about the secret movie of KHII FM+. Turns out that the Roxas look-alike is named Ventus, blue-haired chick is Aqua, and Mr. Angryface Xehanort is Terra. Also, the exact reason why Roxas left was put up. "Because he kept having recurring dreams of Sora, someone he didn't know, he felt he needed to leave the Organization to find out who these people he didn't know were."

Excuse me while I writhe about in agony for want of a new Kingdom Hearts game.

And so, after another two (three now?) weeks, I finally got meself to update again! Woo! What with writer's block, a whole weekend marathon of Ninja Warrior, and then, the next weekend, getting a fever of 102... I've been a smidgeon busy.

I'm still working madly on my upcoming Akuroku. So yah. Web is taking longer for me to write than usual. I've also decided to cut off some stuff. Turns out that there'll only be one more chapter after this! I think. Maybe. Hrm.

And it also came to my attention that Web got added to a c2s group... thingie! Which is a first for me, so whoever stuck this fic into that group... you have my thanks! (if I actually knew how those things work, anyway.)

* * *

**"I wonder if it's okay for me to live for you?  
I want to share just one dream with you.  
I wonder if it's okay for me to fall in love with you?  
I want to wrap you up softly and protect you.**

There's no need for decorated words.  
Being strategic and such doesn't suit me.

The beating of my heart from gazing at you now,  
I don't want to run from it.

Getting past solitude, I've finally come across  
a miracle that's being called out by angels.  
Recognize my caring, allow my love,  
unfasten your heart and come to me." 

**---- KAT-TUN - "You" **

**Web of Night**

Chapter 6

Roxas couldn't sleep. It was not like he wasn't absolutely exhausted from the tolling fight with Riku or the, uh... whole affair with Axel. And his mind was certainly at ease for now, body relaxed. The bed was extremely comfortable and warm and the room quiet and peaceful.

Not to mention that the possessive arms latched around his waist and a certain red head's face nuzzling into his neck were filling him up with a fuzzy sort of satisfaction.

No, there was nothing obstructing his attempts at slumber. Nothing but himself. Roxas exhaled impatiently through his nose, listening to the faint pattering of rain outside of the window. This wasn't his first encounter with insomnia. And especially after a week of Sora-oriented dreams, the very thought of sleeping was not comforting. And when he didn't sleep... his head liked to wander.

There was a pale light filtering into the room from the window. The glow of the ever present Kingdom Hearts. Tracing the ash marks on the ceiling with his eyes, Roxas thought back to the origins of the burn smudges. Demyx said that Axel had made them, right after he came back to the Castle, Roxas-less.

"_Funny how dependant we've become on each other. If I didn't know any better, I'd say this was love."_

If nobodies could love, that is.

Wrinkling his nose and blinking tiredly, frustrated with his own inability to sink into sleep, the Key of Destiny turned his head to instead stare at Axel. _"Lucky idiot... wish I could sleep like that_."

It was strange how much of a mess his head was, and yet he could just let all that go when he stared at the older teen next to him. The incessant heart pains from Sora hadn't repeated themselves all night, too. It probably wasn't a coincidence. Even before he had left the Organization, Axel always made him feel better.

_The meeting room of the Organization was silent as Xemnas stared at each member individually from his higher seat. Saïx was the only one who actually met his gaze, however. The rest of the nobodies had their attention on the blonde boy who was sullenly staring down at the hands folded in his lap._

"_Oi, Superior, who's this runt?" Xigbar drawled from his seat, leaning back with his hands folded across his chest._

_Xemnas turned his own gaze to the silent blonde. "This is Number XIII. The Key of Destiny. I will need someone to help him adjust to the Castle and train him."_

_Demyx leaned forward excitedly. _Finally_, someone younger than him! "What's his element?"_

"_Light."_

_A murmur, barely audible, cascaded through the ranks of the nobodies. Light was a strange element to carry in their group. Especially when theirs were mostly darkness-oriented. Who would want to train with someone who was their exact opposite?_

"_I'll train him." _

_All eyes were on Axel, who looked more bored with the procedure. His statement seemed more like an off-handed comment. Xemnas nodded. "Good. That will be your main priority for the next week; I will exempt you from your missions during that time. You're all dismissed."_

_No one noticed the small grin spreading on Axel's features. One by one, each of the members summoned their portals and disappeared until only 8 and 13 remained. It appeared that Roxas didn't even know how to draw up the doorway. _

"_Yo, Key of Destiny." Axel propped up arm on his knee, then his chin on his hand. "If you don't know how to move from place to place, how'd you get here in the first place?"_

_For the first time, Axel witnessed a hint of emotion pass through the smaller boy's features. Embarrassment. _

"_The Superior teleported me here." He mumbled, hands tightening into fists._

"_Ah. Well, in that case." Axel wasted no time in stepping through his own portal, over to the blonde's chair. Roxas didn't even have to time react when the Flurry of Dancing Flames dragged him up by the arm and shoved him through the swirling black._

_A yelp of surprise tore from his throat. Roxas stumbled out from the teleportation device into a broad hallway, Axel calmly striding out as the hole closed in behind him. He eyed the clumsy Organization member with a look of amusement. "Damn, you really_ are_ fresh meat..."_

"_Shut up!" Roxas was quickly growing to hate that overconfident attitude of the Flurry of Dancing Flames. "It's not like I had a choice for this... I didn't want to join."_

"_Of course you didn't." Axel shrugged, "Most of us would have preferred another life to this, but there's nothing we can do about it. The name's Axel."_

_Roxas frowned down at the outstretched hand, suspicious. Giving in, he grasped the slender fingers and completed his part. Axel did the shaking, but paused after one or two swift up and down motions. _

"_Now it's your turn to introduce yourself. You have a name, don't you?"_

"_I thought my name was the Key of Destiny." Roxas rolled his eyes. _

_  
"That's just was Xemnas calls us. Or by our numbers. But most of us aren't as stiff as that." explained Axel, peering down at the shorter teen. He noted with interest that the boy's bright blue eyes were very expressive of the kid's emotions. They were currently narrowed in annoyance._

_Giving what Axel said a bit of thought, the blonde finally relented and pulled his hand back. There was a large window nearby with a view of the World That Never Was. He took a few steps to peer out. The dulled neon lights glinted at him through the downpour that was currently going on outside. "It's Roxas."_

"_Mind if I call you Roxie for short?" Axel moved to stand by the Key of Destiny and look out at the weather. _

"_Yes." _

"_Ah. Roxie it is." Snickering at the sour look that the blonde gave him, Axel gestured at the view outside. "Shitty weather, huh? I swear, this place only has two types of forecasts. Either it's just dull and boring or it's raining. You get used to it, though." _

_Roxas seriously doubted that, but he kept his thoughts to himself as he followed Axel, who had already turned away from the window and started heading down the hall. "Are you always so eloquent with your word choice?"_

"_... just about." Axel folded his hands behind his head as he walked. Roxas took the time then to observe his superior, sweeping his gaze over the teen. Flaming crimson and impossibly spiky hair arched back from a face that would have perhaps been elegant, if not for that impish smirk. Red ink swept around the pair of green eyes, while another set of tattoos in the shape of green tear drops rested on high cheekbones. _

_Axel noticed the intent blue eyes studying him and expressed his amusement in a typical fashion, leaning forward to lock eyes with Roxas. "See something you like?"_

_The blonde kept his cool, surprisingly, and turned away. "Hardly. So anyway... So what are you supposed to do with me?"_

"_I'm supposed to train you." Axel bit back the tempting urge to tease the boy about his statement. "I doubt you have much fighting skill, seeing as you just got here." Number VIII stopped at a room on the right and shoved Roxas into it after opening the door. "So we're going to practice."_

"_Great..." A high-ceiling and scuffed metal walls made up the training room. Roxas stopped in the middle, looking around with a barely restrained curiosity. As the area was bare of anything, there wasn't much to really examine. He turned to Axel. The lanky teen was waiting a comfortable distance away, lips stretched in his characteristic smirk. _

"_Now," Axel began, pulling his chakrams to his hands from the darkness. "Summon your weapons and we'll start."_

_Roxas quickly found out that the other member's element was fire, and just how dangerous it was. He also came to terms with the pointy ends of Axel's chakrams and that they were just as deadly when they were chucked at him. By the end of the session that had felt like _forever_, the dual-wielder had collapsed to one knee, panting heavily and leaning on one of his keyblades for support._

_To his dismay, Axel was almost fresh as a daisy. His coat was perhaps a bit worse for wear, but aside from that and a couple minor scratches, the pyro had easily come out on top for the fight. _

"_No worries. It's your first day, we'll train you up."_

"_I hate this already." Roxas muttered, trying to catch his breath. "Why the hell did you volunteer to do this?"_

"_Because you're cute." The red-head's Cheshire-cat leer and the predatory look in his eyes had Roxas's body stiffening automatically for self-defense._

"_What kind of answer is that?" He frowned, stumbling back up to his feet and banishing his weapons. Typical that the older Organization member was completely insane. "Stop playing around!"_

"_Fine, brat. You can have a break, for now... but I'm not gonna go easy on you!"_

"_I never asked you to!"_

Roxas sighed, breaking away from his reminiscing. It felt like forever ago. It _was_ forever ago. Over a year. So much had passed since then. He and Axel had spent hours a day, training. Demyx started joining them later. Slowly, surely, Axel eased Roxas into the depths of the life of a nobody and Roxas was quick to learn how to swim through the murky water of that desolate lifestyle. All thanks to the cocky, sneering, perverted red-head.

Who was currently still snoring softly away, nuzzling his nose into Roxas's shoulder.

"_We've known each other for so long, but I still don't know where those tattoos of his came from."_

Without thinking, Roxas's hand snuck out to graze a thumb over the older boy's tear tattoos that were just barely visible in the darkness. Axel twitched his eyebrows sleepily before mumbling and digging his face deeper into the nook of Roxas's neck. Chuckling to himself, Roxas continued his exploring, the tips of his fingers skimming over the skinny shoulder, down the arm, back up, before sliding down Axel's side. He proceeded to knead flesh at the hip with one hand, watching his slumbering partner's reaction as he did so.

"_Is he hiding any other secrets from me that I don't know?"_

Axel didn't move. Besides twitching, he slept on. Pouting slightly, Roxas let his fingers travel down to Axel's thigh before pulling away. He wasn't in the mood to molest him while he was sleeping or anything. He found, though, that his hand was now in the grip of Axel's, who was pulling his head away to face Roxas.

"I hope you were going somewhere with that..." His eyes were clear and alert. Roxas frowned, realizing that Axel had feigned sleep.

Feeling somewhat miffed, the blonde attempted to tug his hand back. "How long've you been awake?"

"Hrm..." Axel's grip wasn't to be broken, however, "When you started poking my face."

"Maybe I should poke your face more often..." Roxas laughed softly, feeling that addictive feeling swell up in his stomach again. What _was_ it?

"Hmm..." A content growl resonated from the depths of Axel's throat. He smiled lazily, eyes only half-open. "Maybe. Now, I really do hope you were going to go somewhere with what you were just doing..."

"Y'mean, this?" Roxas's hand snaked out again to feather across Axel's inner thigh.

"_Maybe not. Axel wouldn't keep anything from me that was so important..." _Roxas reason silently, smiling as Axel drew him in closer, pressing his body to his.

"_Then again..._" The pessimistic side started up._ "He never told me anything about Sora. He knew that it was driving me crazy, but he didn't say anything."_

His thoughts were disrupted without warning. Axel had rolled on top of the blonde, a possessive gleam in his eye as his nimble fingers trailed down Roxas's quivering stomach. His mouth soon followed, heading in the downwards directions and reminding Roxas that now wasn't the best time for actually forming coherent thoughts.

He couldn't help himself, though.

"_But I'm keeping secrets from him, aren't I? I'm still not sure if I'm still planning to stay here. With Axel."_

"Axel..." Roxas whispered aloud, eyes fluttering shut as a wet mouth enclosed over the tip of his length. Axel 'hmm'-ed in response, with Roxas rolling his head back in response, gasping.

"_I belong here, right? I don't belong back with Sora. Here is home. Axel is home. We're supposed to be together... right?"_

It was a losing battle. His own conscious seemed to be trying to convince itself.

Shaking fingers reached down to stroke through his favorite red spikes, earning another hum of approval to reverberate through Axel's mouth and send another wave of pleasure through the smaller teen's body.

"_Or maybe in the end, the only thing we're supposed to be is non-existent." _

Roxas's toes curled in earnest as Axel began to massage the inside of his thighs with the tips of his fingers.

"_Maybe my place really is with Sora."_

The familiar tension was curling up at the bottom of his stomach. Axel was losing control as well.

"_Maybe I don't belong here."_

Sweat broke out over his skin as his breathing increased into heavy pants.

"_Maybe... everything in my life... isn't meant to be."_

The pants became moans. His fingers tightened around the fine red hair as the release came.

"_Has it come to this?"_

"Axel!"

**.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.**

DiZ looked up from his computer screens, single eye widened. A very unexpected voice had interrupted his studies. The single computer in the back of the room that projected Sora's stats had buzzed back into life. It had remained silent for a long time now, ever since Roxas had fully served his connection with the other key blade wielder. Now the electronic voice spoke again.

**Restoration Connection established.**

The scientist, perhaps for the first time in his life, was at a loss of words. When he finally regained his ability of speech, the bandages around his mouth shifted something to accommodate from the smile underneath.

"Perhaps that nobody has a heart, after all."

**.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.**

"Where're you going?"

"To the place where people usually go in the morning." Axel snorted as he noticed Roxas's small confused pout. "The bathroom, Rox."

"Don't take too long."

"Yes, I'll try not to." The other retorted with a roll of his eyes, waving over his shoulder.

Roxas smiled, watching the cheerfully naked Axel stroll into his bathroom. Now Roxas knew what that feeling was. Contentment. Happiness. It was a strange feeling. He remembered something like it near the end of his first stay with the Organization. And when he was just Roxas from Twilight Town, he experienced the same thing. Nobodies weren't supposed to have these sorts of thoughts.

Just like those thoughts about Sora. Once again, Roxas pushed them back, unwilling to wipe away Axel's smile with his own dreary ideas. For now, he would stay as long as he could here. It was just a matter of when he would come back to DiZ's lab now, but for the moment, he'd try to live it up at least a bit. For Axel's sake.

Speaking of Axel... the absence of the pyro's body was now in the process of depriving the blonde of his beloved warmth. Pouting, he stared down at the cooled sheets, traveling along the creases in the fabric, until his eyes wandered over to the nearby chair, where Axel's leather coat was draped over the back.

With an easy stretch of his body, Roxas reached out and nabbed the article of clothing and pulled it over himself. The sleeves were too long and the shoulders too broad. He must've looked ridiculous, sitting with the hood draped so low that it went over one of his eyes and the one shoulder slipping off of his own to reveal his bright red love bites, courtesy of Axel.

But at least the coat was somewhat warm, and smelled the same as the chakram-wielder. Roxas sat back into the pillows, wrapping his arms loosely around himself to keep in his body heat. The coat's material was pleasantly soft and worn, so that it quite comfortable to wear. Roxas was jealous; his coat wasn't as used as Axel's. It didn't help to have a flame user for a friend. Axel's training was always ruining his clothes.

Axel's return broke through the blonde's thoughts. He looked up to see the grinning older boy, at least now wearing pants. "Is that my coat you're wearing?"

Roxas smirked back, spotting the spark that had just lit up his friend's eyes. "What if it was?"

"Well, then," Axel turned around to grab his discarded shirt on the other side of the room, "I'd have to say that I'm surprised how you can make even clothes that are too big for you look good."

"It's a rare talent." Stumbling from the bed, Roxas attempted to shuffle over to the red-head, but the coat really _was _too big. The bottom got caught under his feet and he ended up stumbling most of the way. Nonetheless, he finally reached his collection of clothes that had been tossed into a pile the night before, now quite dry.

As Roxas was tugging on the properly fitted outfit, Axel flashed him a grin. "You should keep my coat on. So everyone can see those bite marks."

The coat came flying at his face as Roxas went looking for his own. Chuckling to himself, Number VIII waited until the other was dressed then tugged him out the door as the room was beginning to light up with the start of morning. "C'mon, let's go have breakfast."

**.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.**

Sora stared down at the spotless sheets that draped over his legs, brow creased in indecision. One hand was idly massaging his chest, exactly over the place where his heart would be. It had become a regular practice and the boy did it almost automatically now, besides the fact that his heart hadn't pained him all night. But the part that was causing him the most pain today was his head.

The brunette had spent the whole morning, mulling things over. And it was a huge amount to mull over. But all of his brain processing had not been for naught. He had at least come to one decision.

He would need to talk to Riku. Or Ansem. Or... whoever he was. And sometime soon.

The question was, how? His voice was still weak and his throat ragged from his previous screaming. He wouldn't be able to call for Riku and the cloaked man hadn't come inside the room since Sora yelled at him to get out. The massaging hand came down to rest in his lap.

Just as the teen had taken on a debate in his head on whether or not to actually get up and look for the Ansem clone, there was a soft scraping sound on the other side of the door. The sound of someone's back sliding down the surface of the entrance as that someone shifted to sit on the floor. It had happened very often throughout the hours.

DiZ was the last person to go and seat himself on the ground. It had to be Riku.

Swallowing back his anxiety, Sora cleared his throat. "H-Hey... you can come in, you know."

The sound of his own voice surprised him. It sounded tired. And weak.

Sora was met with silence at first, but surely, after a very short eternity passed, the door opened to reveal a very surprised looking Ansem hesitating in the doorway.

"...Sora?"

Sora sat up straighter, meeting the curious gold eyes of his enemy. It was now or never. "I want you to tell me everything that's going on. Right now."

* * *

_One day, I'm going to be on Ninja Warrior and I will glomp Shunsuke Nagasaki._

This isn't thoroughly proof-read. It's almost midnight. I am quite le tired. And mmmfed. But I'll get back to this and fix as much as I can.

I find it strangely amusing that while it took me ages to write this damn chapter, I've already breezed through more than half of the next chapter. Yeah, I've already written the end of this, and yet this chapter refused to come out. -smacks self in head- Chapter 6 was actually intended to be longer, but as it turns out, I'm thinking that maybe I'll have two chapters after all. We'll see.

REVIEWS? (This is me going under the impression that maybe if I ask in all caps, it'll be more persuasive)


	7. Chapter 7

Last chapter, guys!

Ne, I don't own the Gackt or T.M.Revolution songs in this chapter. Or KH. Or … your face. Don't own that, either.

* * *

**Web of Night**

Chapter 7

"Everything?" Riku repeated blankly, staring at the calm Sora who was looking up at him from the bed.

Sora nodded in reply, "Everything."

In the silence that followed, Riku started forward. He was about to lower himself to sit on the edge of the bed, but caught himself. Sora probably wouldn't want him to be so close. Checking the brunette's reaction, Riku glanced over at him questioningly, one hand already resting on the blankets.

"You can sit."

The taller boy seated himself slowly, dragging his eyes away from the piercing blue eyes. "You know I can't tell you everything, Sora."

"But I need to know! Riku, I-" With an indignant tone, Sora sat up to grab Riku's arm and draw his attention. The silver-haired man hissed in pain, flinching and pulling his arm back. The rest of Sora's argument died in his throat as he blinked at the Ansem look-alike, who was now staring with a frown at the opposite wall.

Gulping, Sora again reached out for his arm, but gently this time. "You're hurt."

Still, Riku didn't meet his eyes. "It's nothing."

"It was Roxas and Axel." said Sora softly, running his fingertips over the smarting injury. Pulling back, he put on a fierce expression. "Look, Ansem... or Riku... or whoever you are... You don't have to hide the truth from me. I heard everything through the walls."

Riku stiffened at this discovery, not daring to turn his gaze to Sora. The Hero of Light's voice dipped into a somber tone. Sora sat back to smile sadly at his hands that were now folded in his lap. "It's kinda funny, isn't it? Who would have ever guessed that we would end up here? From our tiny little island, where everything seemed so far away... to this place in the middle of a galaxy of different worlds, where I'm dying, Kairi's back home, and you're... not Riku anymore."

"Sora." Riku's voice seemed to slice into Sora's words, cutting him off. "I didn't want you to see me like this."

Sora raised his head to see Ansem staring at him, a pleading look in his eyes. The shining gold irises sent a shiver up his spine. It was hard to believe that under that façade was his best friend. He couldn't see Riku. All he could see were those evil yellow eyes, the tan skin...

Leaning forward, Sora slipped his hand into his. "What happened to you?"

"It was just... something I had to do, Sora."

"You're not going to tell me?"

The empty pause that followed was answer enough. Riku wasn't going to disclose anything that wasn't necessary for him to.

Sora sighed. "... Alright, then. If that's what you want, then I guess... that's fine."

"You've been asleep for a year, Sora." said Riku softly, staring down at their clasped hands. "Your nobody, Roxas, was supposed to return to your body, but he left. He _abandoned _you. I've been trying, all this time, to get you back... and now I have to get him back, too."

Sora had been caught off guard by the information, but he quickly smiled ruefully. "A whole year? So much time wasted..."

Riku interlaced his fingers with the smaller boys, his voice picking up a fierce undertone. "Sora, I swear to you, I'll get Roxas back to you so you can keep living. I'm not going to let you die."

With a shake of his head, spikes shifting back and forth, Sora sat back once more. His eyes closed from exhaustion as his free hand came up again to knead at his chest, exactly over his heart. "No. It's all up to Roxas now. I can accept... whatever he chooses."

**.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.**

"Well, if it isn't our favorite little Number XIII!" Luxord smirked, leaping from his chair, breakfast forgotten.

Roxas grinned sheepishly as the remaining members of the Organization, barring Saïx and Xemnas, stood to welcome him back. Three pairs of hands ruffled his blonde spikes while Demyx finally got his chance to greet him back properly, squeezing and hugging him.

Axel chuckled under his breath. "Alright, guys, let him breathe and actually get some food."

With one final punch to the shoulder from Xaldin, Roxas and the rest of the members all sat back down to eat, Axel squashing Roxas between himself and Demyx. Xigbar, who had been in the process of snarfing down sausages, briefly put his forks on pause, as he was eating with one utensil in each hand. "So where've you been, Rox?"

Luxord took a gulp of coffee. "We heard you got captured."

"Well, uh..." Roxas reached out to help himself to pancakes, which Demyx had just passed to him. "I did. But I escaped with Axel's help."

"Good thing, too." Demyx piped up. "The Superior told Axel that if he couldn't get you back that last time, he'd have to kill you."

"Ah haha, yeah, real lucky." Axel smiled cheerily while savagely stabbing at his burnt waffles. Roxas eyed the mistreated food briefly before tucking in.

"S'been real boring around here, though." Xigbar noted, chewing thoughtfully. "No Axel and Roxas duo to be wreakin' hell and havoc around here. Saix and Xemnas've been too cheerful."

Roxas exhaled silently through his nose. "Yeah, I don't think they really missed me."

"Ah, screw 'em, Rox. _We_ missed ya, and that's what counts." The sharpshooter waved off Roxas's gloomy comment, returning to his food. Xaldin laughed, distracted from his own breakfast of scrambled eggs.

"Xig's right, though. Too damn quiet around here these days. Superior's getting antsy, I can tell."

"Doesn't stop him from going on about Kingdom Hearts non-stop." muttered Axel, rolling his eyes.

The rest of the guys grunted their agreement, now digging in fully into their breakfast. Roxas allowed himself a brief smile as he ate. Things really hadn't changed here. The rest of the members were the same as ever: Crazy. He took a sip of his orange juice, shifting a bit to the side to rest his shoulder against Axel's, smile growing when one of Axel's arms snuck down to slide around his waist.

But as they ate, fate got the idea to ruin their peaceful moment. Xemnas stormed into the dining room as if he owned the place, which, really, he did. "Number XIII. A word, if you please."

Just barely restraining himself from choking on his pancakes, Roxas nodded and hurriedly rose from his seat, Axel's arm regretfully falling back to the red-head's side. The rest of the members had fallen silent, growing still as they watched Roxas walk out of the room. To their displeasure, Saïx slunk in to take his place, wordlessly seating himself at the front of the table.

Outside in the hall, Xemnas towered over Roxas, his gold eyes boring into blue. "Number XIII. I take it you have trained and recovered efficiently?"

"Y-yes, Superior." Roxas said, keeping his eyes to the ground. What could this possibly be about?

"Good. You are then fit enough for a new mission."

Realization flowed over Roxas like a wave. This was about Sora. It had to be.

"You are to locate the keyblade bearer and eliminate him while he is in his weakened state. Now is the perfect time to strike. I expect you to be finished with the mission by tomorrow morning. Is that clear?"

"Ah, I..." Roxas stumbled over his words, unable to fully agree to the command.

"_Is that clear_?"

Xemnas's tone was enough incentive for Roxas to splutter out a "Yessir." Satisfied, the Superior turned on his heel, storming off in the direction of his office and leaving Roxas to glare after him in disgust. The Organization leader moved fast if he already wanted Sora dead.

Roxas already knew that he wouldn't do it.

"Roxas." Axel poked his head out of the dining room, looking concerned. "The coast clear?"

The blonde nodded, motioning for Axel to come out. "Superior's gone."

"Good. I'm not up for anymore missions soon, especially with that last one..." Axel muttered, looking down the hall with an expression of distaste at the thought of his previous mission.

Roxas suddenly found himself wishing away and gone. He couldn't stand another minute in the stainless white castle, surrounding by nobodies and darkness. "Axel, I want to get out of here."

Axel blinked. "Now?"

"Right now."

Seeming to understand where Roxas was going with this, the pyro grinned and pulled his friend close, leaning down. Axel whispered into Roxas's ear, lips brushing against the soft outer shell., "C'mon, I know the perfect place to go."

Roxas couldn't keep the grin off of his face. "Show me."

**.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.**

"Axel, you're a genius."

"Mm, yeah, I know. Get it all the time."

"... idiot."

But Axel really did pick the perfect spot. As it turned out, the sun was just setting in Twilight Town. Axel had teleported the two of them to the roof of the train station tower, picking up two sea-salt ice cream bars on the way there. It was their favorite place to relax without the prying eyes of the Organization. And Axel knew that Roxas really loved the strange blue ice cream, so that was just a bonus.

The red-head smiled, watching as the streaks of red and yellow flowed across the orange sky. He bit off a piece of his own cold treat, chewing it slowly. "Gotta love the sunset."

Roxas 'hmm'-ed in agreement, licking at the slowly melting blue ice cream. He looked out at the spectacle, ignoring the stabbing pain in his chest. It wasn't from Sora, he knew. It was the feeling of loss. The memories of sitting in this exact place with Hayner, Pence, and Olette stung. A fake life, one that he would never get back. The real trio of friends didn't know Roxas, wouldn't ever know him.

Sensing Roxas's troubled silence, Axel nudged him. "Thank you, Axel, for paying for the ice cream. Again."

"Heh." Roxas nudged back. "Thank you, Axel."

"Yeah, you're welcome...ungrateful brat."

To show his gratitude, Roxas leaned over and snagged Axel's lips with his own sticky ones. Axel blinked in surprise for a brief second but Roxas already pulled away. "Really, Axel. Thanks."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." Axel snickered, holding his dripping treat out to the side as he stretched out to return the kiss. Roxas met him half-way, eagerly pushing his lips against the red-head's, ice cream now forgotten.

But not completely. When a huge blob of the blue stuff fell with a plop into his lap, Roxas yelped indignantly, pulling away to hastily scrape at the cold sweet.

"Lemme get that for you." Axel purred, the rest of his own ice cream in the process of being chewed and swallowed.

"What? Axel, don't!"

Ignoring Roxas's squeaks and protests, Axel dipped his head down to lap at the smeared blue sweetness. It was easy enough to lick away at the remaining half-melted chunks and some of the tiny puddles of ice cream that were nestled in the creased of Roxas's coat.

Job done, Axel arched back to capture Roxas's lips again, face now even stickier. His tongue darted out to graze against the smaller boy's, the taste of sea-salt ice cream prevalent throughout the entire kiss. But the need to breathe set in and the two finally pulled back, Axel with a pleased smirk on his face as he settled down next to Roxas, who was panting and looking deliciously flustered.

"Love you, Rox." Axel said without warning, watching as the blonde turned his head to meet his gaze. Those blue eyes were slowly lowering to a half-open position as a content smile pulled at the corners of the boy's mouth.

"Love you too, Axel."

Both pleased, the pair turned to watch as the sun dipped under the horizon, casting out more streaks of fiery colors across the darkened sky. Roxas grinned, heaving a cheerful sigh.

"_Things are just about perfect now, huh?"_

What? It couldn't be...! Looking around wildly, Roxas saw the surroundings frozen in time. Axel wasn't blinking, now still as a statue. The sun had halted on the precipice of the world, no longer able to sink farther.

"Sora, is that you?"

"_It is. I'm sorry for prying."_

So the boy could infiltrate his owns thoughts now? He was getting stronger. Feeling slightly miffed, Roxas tossed away the rest of his ruined ice cream. "What do you want?"

"_Have you decided what you're going to do yet?"_

Roxas flushed, hands curling into angry fists. "No."

"_Well, I just wanted to let you know... that I have faith that you'll do the right thing. I don't know if you've made your decision or not, but I just wanted to tell you. You're my nobody, but I don't know you at all. You don't deserve this fate, Roxas."_

"Sora, I'm not going to let you die." Roxas frowned, wondering why Sora sounded so at peace with this.

"_I know. But just know... whatever choice you make, I'm fine with that."_

"Sora!" Roxas gritted out, feeling the presence of the other teen leave. How could he do something like that, making his thoughts even more unorganized than before? Now he didn't even know what to do... Was he really going to let Sora die? As he argued with himself, time spun back into motion.

"So!" Axel was standing up, brushing down his coat and turning to his friend as he unwittingly returned back to the present. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah." Roxas smiled distractedly, allowing Axel to help him up before looping his arm around Axel's waist. "Let's go home."

**.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.**

After the sunset, the boys had returned to the castle for a full block of training. Both their muscles were sore and aching, but they had only called it quits after Roxas had wisely pointed out that their clothes were already practically in shreds, and that he didn't exactly fancy sneaking back to their rooms naked, only to get caught by the Superior. In reality, Roxas was just too tired to concentrate anymore. He still hadn't dared to tell Axel about the mission.

And so, Roxas found himself, once again, staring at the dark ceiling, sleep the last thing on this mind. Naturally, Axel was busy snoring away at his side, clinging gently to him. The blonde sighed softly, eyes shutting to block out his view of the burnt ceiling.

"_Things are just about perfect now, huh?"_

"_I have faith that you'll do the right thing."_

"_... whatever choice you make, I'm fine with that."_

The thoughts were swirling through his head, but Roxas was no longer baffled. The confusion and indecision was gone. He had decided already. It was for the best. For Sora and everyone else.

The life of a nobody would be easier to sacrifice. No one would miss him.

It was easy enough to just gently slip out of bed. Axel murmured something in his sleep as the familiar warmth disappeared from his side, but he didn't wake. Careful to keep quiet, the blonde tip-toed to his discarded clothes on the nearby chair. He made quick but silent work of slipping on his pants, shirt, and coat. In minutes, he was ready to go. For the second time, he would be leaving his life behind.

Except this time, it wasn't a session of soul-searching. He was leaving Organization XII for good. He was leaving the world for good. By morning, Roxas would be gone.

Hardening his resolve, Roxas finally tugged on his boots and headed for the door. An unexpected grip on his wrist stopped him in his tracks, however.

"Where are you going?"

It seemed that Axel had woken up. Roxas stiffened. _How long was he lying there, watching me?_

Bare chest gleaming in the light of Kingdom Hearts, Number VIII frowned down at the shorter boy, slim fingers curled around an even skinnier wrist. Roxas found that he couldn't meet Axel's eyes. He feared that those emerald green depths would scorch right through his own blue ones and see the truth. The betrayal. So he stared at his feet, caught red-handed in his escape.

"... Axel?"

"I asked you," Axel growled, taking a step forward, "Where are you going?"

Holding back a shiver, Roxas closed his eyes. "Let me go, Axel."

The chakram-user paused at the double meaning in his friend's words. The pair stood in silence, Roxas biting his lip to keep his determination strong, Axel glaring down at the blonde spikes.

"Don't make this harder." Again, a pause. Another moment of uncertainty, of struggling with self-control.

"It's come down to this?" Axel's abruptly eyes hardened as he leaned in closer. Roxas thought for a moment that maybe the red-head would start yelling, or maybe even swing in a blow, but he didn't expect him to abruptly drop to his knees.

"Axel!"

The pyro's arms looped around his waist and hands threaded into Roxas's coat as he buried his head into the blonde's stomach. "What can I do... to make you stay?"

Roxas's eyes softened at the desperate gesture. He should've seen this one coming. "There's nothing you can do, Axel. I need to go. Sora needs me to go."

The grip around Roxas's waist tightened. "I'd give you anything, if I had anything to give. I don't have a heart, and my soul is damned to hell anyway. But I can give you me, right? Would that be enough for you?"

Was it just him, or did the atmosphere around them become heavily and suffocating. Roxas's legs began to shake. _Don't do this to me, Axel. Don't. I've already made my decision, I can't go back on it now. It's too late. Just let me go_. "Axel, I don't-"

"Everything I have, just take it, Roxas. Take it all!" Axel whispered fiercely, pressing his face harder into Roxas's abdomen.

"I won't." Roxas looked down at the red spikes with a soft expression, despite his fierce tone. "I won't take anything from you, Axel. I want you to keep living."

"I don't want to. I _don't_, Roxas..." Axel's voice was deteriorating, his grip tightening on Roxas's leather coat. "You just came back, stop doing the damn self-less act and try to do something for yourself for once. If not for you, then for me. _Stay. _I can't keep this up... I can't... _can't_... without you."

Sighing, Roxas laced his fingers through the soft crimson hair, sliding down to his knees to face Axel. Their eyes finally met and the blonde was shocked to see the blazing look of sorrow the red-head had. The expression caused him to falter, but he fought it off by forcing a small smile. Leaning forward, Roxas pressed his lips to each triangle tattoo.

Axel's eyes closed as Roxas's lips traveled from his cheeks to his eyelids, to his ears, to the tip of his nose, then each corner of his mouth, until finally their lips were brushing against each other. They didn't kiss, however. Blue met green once more as Roxas spoke.

"Remember what I said to you after our promise?"

Leaning his forehead gently against Roxas's, Axel felt a grin tug at the corners of his lips. "Heh, yeah. That we'll meet again in the next life."

"I'll wait for you." Roxas whispered, eyes fluttering shut as he finally leaned forward for a kiss. Axel eagerly met him, crushing the smaller boy's body to his as he pushed back into the kiss. They poured all of their remaining unsaid emotions into the action and soon enough, it was Roxas that had tears slipping down his cheeks. He pulled away to wipe at them, but Axel was quicker, licking them away.

Locking eyes again, Axel pushed into one last kiss before letting out a shuddering sigh. "I'll try not to take too long."

Roxas released a few chuckles but seem to choke on them. "Yeah, 'cause I have as much patience as you do. Not a lot."

The pair stood together, arms sliding away, the warmth between them fading into the chilly darkness. The Flurry of Dancing Flames grinned, but it looked more like a grimace. "Go, then. Get your sorry ass out of here."

The blonde hesitated, then finally reached again for the doorknob. "Bye, Ax."

"See ya, Roxas."

Without a backwards glance, Roxas swept from the room and headed out. Axel stared at the door, the grin still stretching his lips. Number XIII's hushed footsteps soon disappeared as he left. Axel's moved, wandering over the small indent in the pillow where Roxas's head had been resting not moments before. A pillow that would forever be left untouched by the same blonde spikes.

Finally snapping, Axel swore loudly. A chakram danced into his hands and it quickly found a new home, embedded deeply into the door as its user set to destroying and burning the rest of his room.

**.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.**

The way back to the lab where Sora had been last seen was simple enough. Roxas summoned a portal there, stepping out of the swirling depths to come face to face with a very surprised looking DiZ. It was apparent by the slightly widened single eye the man had.

"**I wear a mask, if you tear it back,  
****What you'll see is sadness."**

Roxas hardly spared him a glance. The main goal now was to find Sora. Sweeping the room with his sight, the only other door to take here was into the white corridor. There was a strong feeling coming from that area. Allowing his senses to lead him, Roxas stormed through the entrance to find a door in the bleached hall that he hadn't noticed before. He kicked it open. It was another, similarly colorless area. The only thing staining the décor was a very angry looking Riku, who was in the process of rising to his feet.

"Come to finish Sora off?" The taller male snarled, Way to Dawn summoned in his hand.

"Get out of my way." Roxas responded emotionlessly. His fingers stretched out to accommodate his two keyblades that flashed into life seconds afterwards. There was nothing that would stop him now. He needed to get to Sora. If he needed to fight this idiot for the fourth time, so be it. Riku would just have to be _plowed down_.

The battle was initiated at those words. Now at the end of his nerves, Riku sprinted forward to stab at the nobody. Roxas wordlessly met the attack, parrying neatly. He set to maneuvering the battle so that Riku's back was facing the corridor where the sleeping pods hummed softly.

**"I stand alone somewhere in the dark  
****All the love has gone."**

Timing his attack carefully, a well-placed over-head slash sent Riku skipping backwards. He barely stepped over the threshold of the doorway when the door was slammed in his face, locking him out of the room. Gasping at the expert trick, Riku's self-control went out the window as he tossed his keyblade away from himself.

"Roxas! Don't you dare go into that room! Get back here!" Riku yelled from the other side of the door, slamming his hands angrily into the steel barrier.

"Shut up!" He didn't even bother to enjoy a bit of enjoyment at the victory over the silver-haired man. Gripping the keyblades tightly, Number XIII went straight to the only other doorway. Which led to Sora.

"**It's time to put everything on the line for you.  
****Nothing ever ventured, then there'll be no gain at all."**

No time for hesitation. He didn't have any time of patience left for this. It was time to get things over with. Kicking open the door, he quickly located the familiar energy presence and launched himself blindly at it, his two weapons come down in a slash. As expected, his attack was easily blocked by a single Kingdom Key.

"Roxas."

The blonde noted grimly that his other didn't look all that shocked to see him. Heart pounding in his chest, he nodded briefly in greeting, his face bearing no emotion.

"Sora."

The two identical eyes stared each other down past the trio of weapons, the only sound in the room being the keyblades as the steel scraped harshly against each other. Roxas abruptly pulled away, only to turn briefly and come at Sora with another slashing assault.

Leaping back onto the bed, the hero of Light blocked again, taking up the silent challenge with a hint of surprise. The two scuffled, Roxas pounding away mercilessly at his second half, putting his duel wielding skills to good use.

"**Just like the summer you never hesitate.  
****I'm drawn to you like a moth is to a flame."**

Even so, Sora's skills got the better of him. With a tricky move, Oathkeeper was knocked away into a corner of the room and the Kingdom Key came around in an unforeseen, over-the-head slice. Roxas just dodged in time, but the hood of his coat was split exactly down the middle.

The fight came to standstill as his blonde spikes poked out from the shreds of his cowl and Oblivion fell from his limp fingers with a loud clatter. In unison, the two watched as the black keyblade shimmered, then faded away. Silence blanketed the small room again.

"**A new horizon before our eyes.  
****Whatever may cross our path, I'll keep this love alive.  
****I'm falling back into the dream again."**

Obviously, it came down to the brunette to speak. Sighing and banishing his own weapon, Sora sat on the edge of the bed and took a deep breath.

"I know how much you're giving up for me. I'm sorry."

"... don't be. I'm not too eager to die and this is the only way. Ax-_we_... made a promise to each other and I won't be able to fulfill it if we stayed as we are now." Roxas's voice didn't carry the bitterness that he expected to. In fact, he felt surprisingly at peace.

"Still... I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter anymore." Roxas said softly, staring now at the floor. "What's done is done. You're a worthy other, I'm... glad."

"**I hear a voice inside me awake again  
****It's telling me to surrender to the fight  
****A shadow land far beyond the light."**

He met Sora's eyes briefly and even managed a small grin, which the other boy returned easily. This was it. The end of everything for Roxas. It was good to know, at least, that his powers wouldn't be put to waste. He moved to stand in front of the sitting teen.

"But would you do something for me?"

At a nod from the other keyblade user, the blonde continued. "If you're gonna go save the world, try not to make a completely idiot out of yourself.

"Heh, it's a promise." Sora grinned as wide as he could, reaching up to clasp hands with his blonde twin.

"Sora!"

Riku stormed into the room, scanning the room swiftly, only to find the brunette alone, a sad smile adorning his lips. "... Roxas?"

"Yeah." Sora nodded slowly, looking thoughtfully at where Oathkeeper had disappeared only moments before. "He's gone."

"**A life that no one but I should ever have to know  
****I'm falling back into the web of night."**

**.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.**

What kind of a life can you lead when the only thing that kept you going left you to fend for yourself?

What can fill your being to replace the emptiness, when in reality, it was vacant to begin with? You can't fill a gaping, endless hole.

Is there even a point to go on?

Definitely not. Axel was determined to keep moving in life. If that meant dying, so be it.

_I suppose that's what brought me here, then._

**Bright red tears traced by a trembling finger,  
I had nothing to lose, nothing to lose  
It crashes through the dark memories.**

There was Sora. Through Sora, the faint glimmering of Roxas. A fire flared up in Axel's chest and the urge to do something ridiculously reckless stirred him back into life.

_I hope you're watching, Roxas. This is gonna be one hell of a show._

"Nah... I can handle these punks. Watch this!"

It was simple, really. A great act of bravado. At least he'd get to go out in a fancier fashion than the blonde.

**The last smile wavered, and disappears,  
And the warmth is all that's left.**

Soon, the flames drained his body and he was lying on the floor of a nonexistent plane, neither here nor there, hollower than even before. It looked... _pretty damn bleak._

Sora looked confused. _Damn kid always looks confused... Gotta explain everything to him, don't I?_

But Roxas wasn't there. The only solace he found in the sight of the brunette was those identical blue eyes. At least he could pretend.

**Your kind and gentle words can't heal me now,  
This body's only dedicated to the never ending fight.**

Send the kid on his way. Help him save the world. It wouldn't be enough to redeem his blackened record, but at least Roxas would be pleased.

"He's waiting for you, Axel. Go get him."

Number VIII felt a smile curling his lips. The portal summoned, the deed done. A life spent.

Then Axel was fading away.

Fading.

Falling.

Disappearing.

... vanishing...

Gone.

**Because every****one returns to heaven, some day.  
You'll never need to say goodbye.**

**.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.-.:.**

"Hey, Axel!" A mohawked blonde chased after the trench-coated teen, waving furiously as he skipped around the other kids walking home from school.

Axel turned, raising an eyebrow as he noticed that Demyx had someone in tow. "Yo. Who'd you catch now?"

"I _told _you that my cousin was coming into town, didn't I?" Demyx moaned, tugging the second person to stand beside him. "And you said you wouldn't mind meeting him. Well, here he is."

Quirking an eyebrow, the red-head skimmed the stranger over with a small smirk. "Is he a midget?"

The angry scowl that suddenly sprouted on the smaller blonde only amused Axel further. Demyx grinned. "Axel, this is Roxas. Roxas, A-"

"The name's Axel. Got it memorized?" Axel interrupted, peering into the shorter teen's face with a flash of green eyes.

"I suppose with a stupid name like that, it'll be hard to forget." Roxas replied with a wry grin, cocking his head mockingly.

Axel felt a smile come to his lips. "Demyx, I like this kid." He leaned in closer as his voice dropped to a soft purr. "He's feisty."

Roxas couldn't help but roll his eyes, glancing over at his cousin. "Dem, I hope that all of your friends aren't as messed up as this idiot."

"Hey! I don't have to take that from you!"

"That's right, you don't. Who takes that kind of crap from a midget, anyway?"

"Why, you..."

Demyx immediately broke up the argument, draping an arm each over the boys' shoulders. "I knew you two would get along! You guys are made for each other."

"If this is fate, then Blondie and I are doomed to hell."

Roxas snorted, unable to hold back an amused grin while Demyx sighed in exasperation. Axel couldn't help but laugh it off, as he usually did. His soft chuckle was infectious and soon, the trio were laughing contently as they tromped down the sidewalk.

"You guys can keep going; I need to tie my shoe really quick." Roxas abruptly dropped to one knee to lace up one of his sneakers while Demyx and Axel walked ahead. Tying the shoe strings up into a double-knot, he stood to see that the two other guys already had a head start on him.

The blonde hesitated, an unbidden smile sliding onto his lips at the sight. The bouncing red-hair and lanky arms swung in time with the skinny teen's casual gait. Roxas could hear his loud laugh clearly from his place. Demyx was chortling along with him, smacking his friend's shoulder playfully. An overwhelming feeling of contentment came over Roxas.

Noting the prolonged absence of his new friend, Axel turned around to wave at the smaller boy. "C'mon, Roxas!"

With a wide smile, Roxas bounded after the other two to catch up. "I'm coming, wait for me!"

As he dashed ahead, he accidentally knocked into two students walking side by side. Squeezing through the pair, he waved at them in apology over his shoulder, still running forward. "Gah, sorry!"

The taller, silver haired boy frowned at him, but before he managed to make an angry retort, his friend waved it off with a cheery grin. "No problem!"

Waving again at the happy brunette, Roxas finally caught up to Demyx and Axel, who were snickering at his clumsy blunder.

"Real smooth, there, Rox." Axel smirked, "Took your time getting here. Made me wait and everything."

His eyes rolling, Roxas shrugged. "_Sorry_. Didn't realize you have zero patience. I'll be sure not to make you wait in the future."

Demyx laughed again, but the red-head was not rattled by the sarcasm. Looping a skinny arm over Roxas's shoulder, Axel flashed another smile. "Good! You can commit that to memory, too."

"... idiot."

* * *

And so, my very first Akuroku comes to an end. And, actually, my very first chapter story that I've seen to the very end. Thank you, everyone who reviewed, alerted, favorited, and all that. I really do appreciate everything. You guys got me to keep writings this xD What a journey. I can't actually come to terms yet with the fact that I actually _finished_ a story for once. 

And now you all finally know why this story is called Web of Night! Thank you, T.M.Revolution for inspiration! xD

All in all, some of you may not be pleased with the ending. But truthfully, things happened how they did in the game for a reason. It wouldn't have worked out with Roxas being away from Sora, in my opinion. I had planned from the beginning for him to return, so sorry for anyone who was disappointed. There's always the afterlife for more akuroku goodness! I was originally going to end the story at Axel's death, but found that I couldn't. Too angsty.

Another note. That lemon in chapter five? Yeah. My very first lemon, kthx! Might as well get all my dark secrets out now xDDD

Speaking of which. I have two more stories already planned out. **Fill in the Blanks **is gonna be a real-life sort of story with the boys in high school. Because everyone in their life-time needs to write a story like that and I can't help myself. It might be a continuation of Web of Night, I haven't decided yet. That one's going to be on my other sn, Marimo.

Another story, at the moment nameless and mostly plot-less, will probably be posted on this account, so you can look fer that 'un, too.

So that's it. I'm done. Thanks again and I hope to hear from you all later, whether it be for reviews on my story or vice-versa. Much love, guys.


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